Fresh Flesh
by RedBlues
Summary: The evening was just as usual for Natasha and Clint, until they met a new neighbor of hers. And everything goes to hell.
1. A quarrel in the hallway

_Okay, this is my first long story. Haven`t decided it length yet, but we will see. Rated M for language and, I hope that I will write it, sexual scenes. _

"We`re going to my apartment", she said persistently.

"Hell, no! We`re going to Stark Tower! And if you don`t want to go home that late, Tony always can give you a room, which you have by the way. Wait, not room, a whole floor!"

She rolled her eyes and grimaced. They continued to walk through St. Andrew`s Street, which was in the middle of Stark Tower and her own home.

"Why won`t you just move in the tower? We all live there, you know".

"And that`s why I don`t want to move in! I have my own place. Where I don`t have to see all the team all the time. It`s tiring! Plus yelling at Stark not adding any points to living altogether".

He stopped. She stopped too, few steps later. She turned back and threw a questioning look.

"What? Seriously, Clint? Now you gonna take an offence? It feels like I yelled at the baby. Which I didn`t! What a hell is wrong with you today?"

"Nothing", he said throw clenched teeth. He really couldn't explain it, but he was really upset with her refusal to move.

He waited for a minute, collected his thought and responded.

"After A. Team was formed, don`t you think it would be easier to live altogether? It`s pretty good leaving there, you know. Like in a five star hotel. Also he has few gym`s which, I bet, is most desirable for you".

She stared in to the floor, thinking. After his speech and a minute later she spoke up.

"Fuck it, we`re going to my place. If you don`t want to go back that late to your "lovely home", you can crash on my couch. Got it, Barton?"

"Goddamn, Tash! How stubborn are you? Jeez…"

So they headed to her house. There was an awkward silence, but she cut it off quickly.

"So… what will we do?" She asked curiously. She knew that Clint was the creative one and always had a plan for a night not to die of boredom.

"Oh, so now you`re listening to my opinion?" He asked discontentedly. But he calmed down quickly and started suggesting. "We could`ve watch a movie."

"Nagh. Too boring. I won`t be able to sit still and stare at the screen that long today", she said lazily.

"What about strip poker?" He asked with a smile. She knew he loved it. But not today Hawk, not today.

"You`re close, but no".

"A drinking game? That`ll do, Red?" He said impatiently.

"Yep, that`ll do…" she looked at his head indignantly and snapped, "… brown".

He gave her a smile and she smiled too.

"You know, it won`t be always in your way, right?"

"We will see".

Near the building they passed a truck and loaders, walked through the entrance and headed to the fourth floor. They were about to walk in, when she saw an opened door, next to her apartment.

"What`s wrong?" He alerted, looking at Natasha`s slightly shocked and interested face, as she stopped.

But there was no time to answer – they heard a loud conversation. It`s was more like a scream of a wicked woman to a man.

"Oh, you walrus dick! Prick up your ass! There`s no fucking way I'm going to pay you up, you old fart. And I don`t give a damn on your boss, you asshole! I`m gonna sew you, bitch! Yeah, that`s right!"

Natasha listened with interest and intrigued smile. Clint raised his eyebrow with a question.

"Is that really that interesting?"

But all he heard was "Shhhhh!" from her. HE rolled his eyes and thought how childish his partner was.

The woman stopped for a second or two and started again, even more pissed off, than she was.

"Why the fuck not? Your team broke half of my stuff! I`m not gonna spar a penny to sew you and make you pay me all the damage that you`ve made! Oh and you`ve better to stay away from me right now or I`ll rip your ass and poke out your eyes, you bastards!"

It was heard as lorry`s wheels squeaked. Obviously, the truck had left and the owner of the apartment, her new neighbor, was heading to her door through the stairs.

"So hardcore", Natasha thought with admiration. She couldn`t wait to meet a girl with such a strong voice and… words. Hawk, on the other hand, was skeptical. He heard quarrels like that every day in the SHIELD or while on a mission, or even sometimes, partly, in the Tower. He was not that excited about it, as Tasha was. He though, that when they`ll go to her apartment, she`d like to get drunk and have a row like that and he, as a drunkie, inspired by this scene, that he had just seen in a hallway, would like to have some sparring with her.

Thanks' God there`s no mission tomorrow.

The woman`s appearance took both of them breathless. She was drop dead gorgeous. She wasn`t tall, just about Tasha`s growth, maybe a little bit higher than the red but just for a little. It wasn`t seen at all, but not if you`d like to measure it on purpose. She had long black curly hair, which ideally falls on her slim but perfectly trim figure, emphasizing her beautiful body. She had wide open lively green eyes and a nice mouth with soft lips. She was wearing tight small shorts so the heat rose for a little for everyone in the room. Tasha even bite her lip lightly with a dreamy gaze at girl. That hadn`t been missed by Clint.

"Oh", she said with a little surprise, thought, no one could hear her conversation and then "Boom!" and they are here. "Well, hello there".

She waived a little to them.

"Hello", Natasha was the first one of them to speak.

"Hi", said Clint, keeping the conversation going.

"I`m sorry, that you heard all of that. I though, that no one would hear that", _Uhuh, yeah right, except the whole house,_ they thought, " and…"

"That`s okay, we understand". Natasha smiled sympathetically to her. She smiled back. "If anyone would`ve break half of mine stuff, I would`ve been even more furious".

"_That`s true_", thought Clint, "_even more than furious – she would`ve smack that 'bitch' into the wall repeatedly and then torture him slowly and cruelly until he begs. Or even longer_".

Even he, Clint Barton, SHIELD`s agent, wouldn`t like to be that guy.

A new one relaxed for a little and remunerated Tasha with a sweet smile.

"I`m Allyson, by the way. Allyson Volkoff".

"Oh My God". That what was in both, Tasha`s and Clint`s heads. Another Russian. That couldn`t be good.

"I`m Natasha. Natasha Romanoff. Nice to meet you, Allyson".

Widow widened her smile.

Clint was surprised, how fast Tasha told the complete stranger her name. That didn`t sound as _great_ Natasha Romanoff. Only if she was up to something. And it did sounded highly suspicious; also it looked like it as well. But, if she was ok with truth, then he will be too. Anyway, what can he be scared of?

"Clint. Clint Barton". He stretched out his hand. She did the same thing and they shook their hands, while Tasha was gazing at her hardly.

"So", she looked at the key in Tasha`s hand, "as I can see you are my new neighbors, right?"

"Oh, no, not him", she said coldly, with some justification in her voice, but then again with a pleasant smile, she continued. "Just me".

There was something definitely up. Clint could feel that. He just couldn`t understand what exactly. Usually, he understood Black Widow more than anyone, but obviously, not now.

"Would you like to join us in my apartment? We were going to have a few shots".

What a _hell_ was she doing? Clint couldn`t understand, what the fuck was with his partner. Yeah, the woman is gorgeous, but why would that mean anything to her? She wasn`t a person now who he had been on the missions for all those years with. Black Widow would`ve never _ever_ invite anyone to her apartment. Especially, a total stranger, which she sees for the first time in her life, on which she hadn`t made a check up about her past. Something was definitely up. He felt it. He could smell it. And he didn`t trust that intentions of hers.

"Oh, sorry. I'd like to", she said with sugared tone, "but I can`t. I have to unpack my stuff".

It was such a relief to Clint. But Tasha wasn`t satisfied. She wasn`t going to give up that easily.

"But as we heard", she started seductively, without taking her eyes of hers, "half of your stuff is broken already. And, maybe, it would`ve been better for you to relax a little and have a drink. Come on, few glasses won`t harm you and it will be a chance for you to… get us to know you better".

Clint couldn`t believe his ears. She started using her seductive voice, just as she was trained and he saw it, her way of doing it, thousand times while they were on the missions. He couldn`t believe his eyes what Tasha was trying to do. He never actually asked her, if she had any woman in her life in that way. He should have, thought. But he still was astonished that she was doing it right now, right here, with her, a complete _stranger,_ who she had just met. He was amused, but it was too deep down to show it. So no one could suspect him.

But also, Clint felt a little bit jealous. She had never behaved that way with him.

He and Tasha had never been together – not as a couple, not as lovers. They slept in one bed a lot, while on the missions, but they never had sex. They kissed a few times: for a mission, for consolation, or it was just a moment for it. He couldn`t explain it adequately. But there _was_ something. Something between them. He wasn`t in love. He just felt strong attraction. Maybe even more. But he didn`t like to deepen in this, not to make it complicated, so he didn`t. But the feeling still was there. And now, he couldn`t understand why or what a hell, but he was jealous and aware.

Allyson stood enchanted. She couldn`t resist, she was in need of it.

"Okay, let it be your way. Give me best what you have", she said with a smile.

Clint saw her look. He knew, it was taken as personal, even it shouldn`t have been, not about a drink. Tasha inflamed a little. No one could see it, but Clint as a person standing near, could feel the heat which was making her body through her cloth. He quietly sighted with mixed feelings.

Tasha took off her seducing look, turned around and started opening the door. Allyson, in her turn, momentary turned red for a few seconds, hid her eyes and sighted with relax. She was aroused too for a bit. But in a flash, when all of them were about to enter the apartment, she turned herself again – that cheerful and not fully calm.


	2. Spoof for two

All, three of them, entered Tasha`s cozy apartment. It was big enough for one woman to live in. When you step into it, you`re already in a large living room with a sofa and a TV, a few giant bookshelves, and a painting on her left wall. Behind the living room, a little on the left was a kitchen, to which you could enter through the ark. So that when you enter, both of this rooms where visible to you. On the boundary of these two (but on the kitchens side more) was a small round table with antique chairs. And on a little right from the living room there was a small corridor, which turned right, and held it way to two rooms: bedroom and some kind of the home gym with a punching bag and stuff. To say in a few words, apartment was really stylish, made in definite style, wasn`t cluttered, - had a lot of free space, so you could`ve move freely.

Tasha loved this apartment. She felt like it was her own home. Almost.

Clint has been here a lot of times. He liked it, but still was insisting on Tasha moving into Stark Tower.

Allyson was nicely impressed with it. She felt herself comfortable as soon as she stepped into it.

"Wow", she exclaimed, "nice apartment. Whanna swap for a little?"

Three of them headed to a kitchen. Clint took his place on his usual seat and moved aside a chair near him, showing a guest to sit there. Natasha was already making them drinks.

"So", she started, "how long have you, guys, been together?"

Tasha and Clint blushed a little, but they were able to masterly hide it. Allyson was tracking their reaction with wondering eyes. Clint answered calmly.

"We are not together. We`re Just friends".

"Yep", Natasha justified, "we`re friends. And to be more definite – we`re co-workers", she finished easily.

"_What a hell is wrong with her_?" thought Clint. He was pissed for a little._ "She`s talking to her, telling her our names, well she made me to tell mine, `cause it would be rude not to. Then she invites her over. Tasha! Invites a complete STRANGER to her house! If she even knows someone, she never invites them! I`m am the only one. And now she tells her we`re a co-workers. What`s next? Telling her about S.H.I.E.L.D and Avengers?"_

"_Is she trying a new seductive method, which main direction is to tell the truth? What a hell?"_

Clint felt a trick. He felt that something was wrong with a neighbor and Natasha, as well. He was missing something.

"So both of you free?" She continued interestingly.

"Yes, we are". She turned confidently with drinks, her voice fitted to her position as well.

She looked through her, with a little wild fire in her eyes. All of them felt some tension and a new wave of heat. She put in front of Clint an empty glass with a bottle of whiskey next to it. For "girls", she brought two glasses and a bottle of vodka.

"Kak na schet vodki? Ya dumau, tu bu vupila nemnogo (What about vodka? I think you would like to drink a little)". She said on Russian with her seductive, a little pushing, tone. She looked directly into her eyes. So did she.

"Da, pochemu bu I net (Yes, why not to)", Tasha moved her glass towards to her. When Allyson bent over the table, pendant fell out from her shirt, and got well seen. When Natasha set on the chair near, her look accidentally felt on it. She automatically stretched out her hand, and on her half way her hand frozen, as well as her body, as well as her sight, and breathe. For a moment she had a flashback, as she, about six years old, just like now, reaching her hand to this not big round accessory, in a shape of circle with salient picture: a ballerina in a move with stars above her head, and takes it in to her small hands. She came back in to the reality just right in the next second stopping her hand from the move.

"Nice jewelry". That`s all she said. She, in a quick manner, with a little trembling hands, took the bottle and pour into their glasses. There was in twice more in hers.

This small episode hadn`t fallen from Clint`s sight. In that moment, he was about to pour a little to his glass. But he still hadn`t missed it. He couldn`t explain what had just happened. He wasn`t going to ask, because it would`ve been awkward to ask, as Allyson had (almost) missed the moment of Natasha`s confusion. It was not necessary to bring it up. Plus he was afraid of broken nose, because of pointing at her … mistake?

Also he saw how her hands trembled. They never did it before. Maybe when few of her bones were broken after a mission and she was trying to get something. Only then. But now?

Tasha drank in a flash full glass! of her drink, with closed eyes out of pleasure, and, maybe, relief. She put her glass down and looked at her companion, which emptied that half, which was poured, as well. While doing it, she hadn`t even clipped – true Russian. She put her glass down and moved it closer to the bottle and Natasha.

Fascinating scene, isn`t it?

"So why had you moved in here, Ally? May I call you that?" She asked with a smile of a true pleasure, half fake, as Clint suspected.

"Yes, of course. – She shivered a bit and had something strange in her eyes - mixture of insistence, passion, little brutality and drop of insanity. That was all reflection to her smaller name. She clipped, and her eyes stopped burning and she appeared as calm and cheerful as they were before. "I moved here because of the job offer and also because of the interest. Always wanted to see New York".

Tasha poured some vodka in their glasses. Clint moved his glass towards her hand as a gesture, that he wanted some too. Tasha shook her head with a look. "Drink your damn whiskey" it said.

"And not to let you guess", she continued proudly, "because you won`t be able to make it right, I am one of the best and demanded yoga trainers in the hole world".

Yeah, that`s the news. Remembering her raw on the stairs and imagining her, as a patient, one of the best yoga trainers – it was hard to accept that these two different tempered persons where one. That was a little shocking, but none of them showed it through their calm faces.

"And what do you do for your life?" She asked with an interest, while taking her glass closer.

Tasha was first able to speak.

"I`m a personal lawyer of Tony Stark, not the company, just him". She took her glass closer to her, was about to drink. "And my friend over here", showing at Barton, "is a head of the security of the Stark Tower. So in some point, we really are co-workers". She smiled and took a shot, without even moving her eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, I know Stark", Barton`s eyebrow went up, with mistrust. "He offered me a job. Well, he insisted on this job. So as his employees – lawyers, assistants".

"So why hadn`t you taken the job? He should`ve been offered you a huge pile of money", finally Clint interfered into the conversation.

"Yes, he did. But I refused. I am tired of working on boring heads of different corporations. I`ve been there before. Plus he`s selling armor. Don`t want to be self-involved". She made a shot.

"But you know, that Tony Stark isn`t JUST a corporation head. He`s an Iron Man and he doesn`t sit in one position".

"Yes, but still. He appears so funny on the public. But inside… I think there`s a hole in his heart", well, literally, she was right, "and I don`t want to deepen in it. I don`t really like him. Just my thought. Don`t take it close to the heart".

"But you still moved in the city", Natasha insisted on continuing this topic.

"Yes, I did, as I said, it`s really beautiful in here and I always wanted to give a visit". Was said with a low smile. And something was weird about it. It was saying "Bitch" with every word that was spangled, but also with a childish insecurity and innocence.

Her phone made a sound, as if it received a message."Ally" took it out, read it, put it back and with a smile looked on her inviters.

"Well, thank you for invitation, but I have to go. There`s something I need to deal with".

Tasha nodded and both of them took off from their sits. Tasha leaded her to the door. Clint was still sitting where he was with a glass in his hands.

Before closing the door, Tasha looked at her and said a little impatiently, full of seductiveness, and a little rage. But it still sounded as she said it with calmly pleasure.

"I`ll be waiting for you, to come round and finish what we have started.

"I will". That all she replied.

Tasha closed the door and came back to her seat. Poured full glass of vodka, with again, little trembling hands, and made a shot. She drank it all. He`d seen this, her manner to drink so much at once, so he wasn`t surprised, but he was angry. Angry with her, but said none of it.

She closed her eyes and sighted, making herself calm down. If anyone have had so many drinks, he or she would`ve been drunk already. But she was steady.

"You`re drinking like a horse, you know it?"

"Shut it", and poured another glass. So did he.

"I`m listening", he uttered after a short silence.

"What do you want to know", she stared at the glass.

"What a fuck was all this? And you know what I mean! So spit it out! Now!"

"Stop fucking screaming, Barton. It was just civility to a neighbor", she lied.

"Okay, maybe it`s not my problem but.."

"Yeah, not yours at all".

" …but what a hell was that?"

"I found her cute. I wanted her", she said with a smile, a tired one.

"Your hands trembled few times, nothing to say about a jewel on her neck".

"Well, what can I say", she looked at him with a smile and playfully whispered, "she really turns me on".

She took one more shot.

"What? You like girls now?" He asked with disbelief.

"Who said I never did", she answered, half questioning, without stopping smiling. But something was sad about it.

"What all the guy`s in the whole world did wrong?"

"They`re not you", she said with some seriousness, and then laughed loudly, realizing, how ridiculous it sounded. "C`mon, Clint. Stop being so boring". She drank one more glass.

He sighted.

"You`re such a drunkie you know". He said with a little disgust.

She suddenly took his hand and pressed hardly. His skin turned blue from the pressure.

"Don`t you even dare". Her eyes were mad and excited at the same time. She released his hand, looked at her empty glass. "Good night, Barton".

He took off from his seat without saying anything. He was vicious a little. And frustrated. He didn`t want to leave, but he was going to. He turned his back to her and headed to the door.

"And one more thing, Barton", he didn`t turn around, "do not check on her. Don`t ask Tony, or Shield, or anything else. Don`t look for any information. Ever. Just promise me".

He couldn`t understand her request. What could he find if he did? She didn`t even knew her.

He sighted with a suspicion.

"Not today. That all I can promise".

Then he left her apartment.

"That`ll be enough". That all she said pouring herself another glass.


	3. A favour

When Barton got out of the goddamn building he felt a little bit relaxed. But still not enough.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lightened it. He inhaled. Hold it for a moment, then sighted. Yeah, he was calming down. In a few more inhales he ended it and threw it out. He started walking.

Then, in one moment, angry feeling filled him from inside. It took him all. He felt it from his toes to his head. He was pissed. He wanted to hit something. Hit something really badly. But there was nothing around to make some damage. Except the window.

Yes, he had a few drinks, but he was sober enough not to do it. Also he knew that only one smashed window wouldn`t calm him down now. He needed few of them plus some cars to trash and a big bad guy to beat all crap out of him. Maybe then he would`ve calm down. But he decided to keep this feeling till another mission, where he will have fun on his large.

He was heading to Stark Tower. A place that should`ve been his home. It is his home. Almost. Everything was great: the team, that were like family to him – he was always ready to cover their back; he even got used to Jarvis – he found him extremely convenient. He got used to Tony s jokes. Even to the stupid one`s – he wasn`t angry with them anymore, he just acted like he didn`t care and he didn`t actually. Well, most of the time. He got used to homemade dinners with everyone that was made by Pepper. She was like a mother, a keeper of this insane tower. He got used to everything. He liked everything. He had home now, which he had never had before. But something was missing. Someone out of this whole ideal picture. SHE was missing.

He tried to convince her so many times. But she always exclaimed that it won`t let them do their job properly. Which wasn`t true. She didn`t want to get attached to anyone. Which she didn`t have to do. But she still got attached with him. That was true. She really did. Everyone knew it. But everyone knew that they were only friends.

Clint calmed down for a little. But thinking about all this moving and Stark Tower brought him a new though: what if she was afraid to get closer with him? What if she is afraid that if they live under one roof, they will be more than friends?

Clint felt relieved. But he declined this thought. "_Nonsense_". That`s what he though.

When he thought about Natasha, he was picturing her as a drop dead gorgeous Red, with Russian roots and smoking hot figure. He thought that she had everything, which any woman would love to have. Everything, except a man which would`ve stand by her side. He knew she had no one as for the romantic relationship or something. But she had him. He wasn`t perfect, yes, he admitted that. But still. She had a man by her side. A man who was always ready to protect her, save her, help if needed. He even could've been a love of her life, THAT man, who she would be romantically involved with, if she only asked. Yes, if she ONLY asked to. But would his respond be a "Yes" or a "No"?

He was closer to a 'yes' answer.

It brought his thoughts to girls. To liking girls. To liking girls by Natasha. Then it brought him to whole this "Allyson thing". He got angry again. He couldn`t understand what a hell was wrong with Tasha. He even had a thought that someone swapped while on the mission real Natasha Romanoff to the fake one. He sighted. _"What nonsense"._ He couldn`t understand what was going on. "_Why would she invite her in, give her our real names, drinking with her, telling about us"._ And he was impressed and confused when they talked on Russian language. It`s just like she knew her, knew that she will understand and answer her. They were drinking vodka like an old friends.

For the first time she saw her, she tried to seduce her. But then, in Tasha`s apartment, she stopped this ridiculous show. She stopped flirting. She wanted information. She listened to it and asked questions like if she was asking details of the story, or to fairy tale or something.

'_Stop, Barton'_, he said to himself, '_calm down! Everything is okay. Just another weird drunk behavior from Tasha. Shit happens. Sometimes.'_

He was almost alright when a remember broke into his mind. Today`s situation, actually. When Tasha`s hands trembled, what they never did before. And also that moment of her frozen body and half headed hand to a jewel. What a hell was that? She understood that this would be incorrect and disrespectful to touch stranger's things and stopped? No, that`s insane. It should`ve reminded her something. Or not?

His head was full of thoughts and a little alcohol. It would`ve been better if he just got drunk.

'_Great, Barton! Congratulations! Nice solution to a problem!_'

Already an hour passed as he left Tasha`s apartment. He was entering Stark Tower and was going to a common floor where everyone usually were. It was already 1 a.m. so he wasn`t hoping to find Stark in the kitchen. But on the left from the kitchen was a door which led to his lab, where he, thought, was going to find him. He had to find him today. Right now. Or he wouldn`t be able to sleep.

He promised Tasha not to ask Tony to look for some information. But if that woman was about to work on Tony, he should`ve checked her in the base, or asked Jarvis to do it. So if Tony will just tell him, without looking or searching for it, that won`t count.

He entered lift, where Jarvis greeted him, as he usually did. When he stepped out on his floor he was taken by surprise with a scene – everyone was there. Well, to be honest, everyone, except Thor, who might have been already sleeping.

Everyone was quiet. Clint was first to talk.

"What a hell are you doing here?" He said jokingly in a good way.

"Well", Stark answered, "I had a bet with Steve, if you were going to come home tonight. I bet that you`re not gonna stay at home tonight. I though, you`re gonna spend some night with Agent Romanoff and do same wrghooooooooooooooooooo", he got up and started dancing and clapping, "samba! If you know what I mean. But obviously", he took a quick look on angry Barton, "not this night".

And smiled. 'Goddamn these 50 bucks'. That`s all he said, while giving them to Steve.

"Shut up, Stark". He said aggressively and started moving towards bar.

"What`s wrong princess? Our Russian Queen cut of your dignity?"

"She wanted to cut yours but thought that Pepper would get upset".

Barton got closer to a bar and in a room were heard a few quite chuckles and even one from the behind of New York Time`s by Bruce. Pepper smiled and asked to tell Natasha 'Thank You'.

No reaction from Clint.

He took a glass out of the top shelf and poured some scotch in it. Everyone was staring at him. He took his seat and sipped a little, with an upset and half angry face.

"Is everything alright, Clint?" Pepper considerably asked.

"Yes. I`m sorry, would you mind if we have some talk with Tony?"

The whole room grew silent for a few moments. Everyone were frustrated for a little and couldn`t understand what was happening. But they considered it would`ve been better to leave these two alone.

"Oh yeah, we have to go to bed already", said Steve and left with 'Good Night' slipping from his lips.

"I can read in a bed you know". And Bruce took off.

"I'll wait for you in a bedroom", said Pepper and left.

When they were left alone, when silence filled the room, Tony started.

"What, Barton? Want me to teach you how to cover your tracks after you watch some porn, ha?"

"Jeez, Stark. Can you be serious at least someday?"

Tony put off his shining smile. He was ready to listen.

"I need a favor. Maybe not a favor, more like some information".

"If I tell you everything that I know, will you give me a pink pony?" He ridiculously begged with widely opened eyes. He put off his smile again. "Okay. That was the last one. Spit it, Barton. Whatcha need?"


	4. Investigation

Tony made himself comfortable, and was ready to talk.

"I heard," Hawkeye started, a little insecure, "You were looking for a yoga trainer."

"Yes," Tony couldn`t understand what this information was needed for. "And I found one of the best yoga trainers."

"Yes, I know. But she declined your offer, right?"

"No," he said, confused. "She signed her contract today and moved in."

"What?" Clint couldn`t understand. The information didn`t converge. "She agreed? And moved?"

"Yes. She moved in here, to Stark Tower. She is my personal trainer. And also if anyone from Avengers is in need of her services, he or she can do some yoga. If it's needed, we have special area for it in here and…any time dude! Just ask Jarvis and…"

"No, no, no. That`s not it," Barton interrupted, confused. What the hell was going on? They had to start over. "Her name is Allyson, right?"

"Yes. Allyson Underwood."

"Are you sure? Allyson Underwood?" Clint asked in disbelief. Stark nodded. "Is she Russian?"

The answer was negative.

"Does she _know_ Russian?"

Negative again.

"Can you show me a photo?"

All Stark could think was that Agent Barton was drunk, or had maybe gone insane.

"Are you all right, Clint? It`s almost two o'clock. Too much to drink, maybe?"

"Shut it. Just show me a damn photo, Stark."

Clint was so furious that Tony decided to do as he asked.

"You heard him, Jarvis. Show us a photo of a young lady."

In just a few seconds, the photo was displayed on the large TV. Clint blinked in disbelief a few times. It wasn`t her. She looked similar, but it wasn`t her. That woman on the screen had long black hair, was trim, but she was taller and different face. And she had blue eyes.

Clint rested his face in his hands. For a few minutes, there was silence in the room. He'd been fooled. He had felt that something was wrong. And he had been right. But he didn`t listen to his feelings. Why didn`t he? But even if he had, what could he do? Nothing. That wasn`t really important, unless…

The screen was empty. And Stark was worried. Really worried. That was more than the insanity of a drunken man. He felt it.

"Can you look for Allyson Volkoff? Just right now, Stark. Right now."

He broke his promise. But he had to know. Because she did.

"It`s too late, Clint," Tony said. "Let`s do it in the morning, after you've had some sleep."

"Goddamn it, Stark! Just do it, please!"

Something was up. He could practically smell how desperate his friend was. He couldn`t say no.

He sighed. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell Pepper that I'm not coming. She`ll be sleeping without me today."

* * *

For almost twenty minutes, they had sat there: Stark searching and Clint waiting. Sometimes drinking.

Finally, Jarvis spoke. "Mister Stark."

"Yes, Jarvis, I'm listening."

"It`s channel 5's news. Mister Barton will be interested, sir."

"Turn it on, " answered Tony, without any enthusiasm.

"…_About thirty minutes ago, the building at 7 Oak Street burst into flames. Firefighters are struggling to extinguish the blaze. We can`t be sure what caused the fire, but police suspect the fire was caused by an explosion. Number of victims is not known…"_

Jarvis muted. Clint`s face was pale. He couldn`t move for a minute. Tony stopped his search. He stared in disbelief.

"Isn`t that Agent Romanoff`s house?"

* * *

A few minutes passed and Clint and Tony were already heading to the fire in one of Stark's fast sport cars.

"She can`t be dead." That`s all he said.

The trip took about five minutes. There was so much noise. A lot of people, despite being the middle of the night, gathered around the building. Police cars and fire trucks lined the street. A helicopter with a woman from the news was flying above the building. For some time, Stark and Hawkeye tried to gather information. But no one knew anything, and they wouldn't find anything out until after they'd stopped the fire. For several minutes, they found themselves staring at the dying, smoldering building. Everything burnt. Only ashes were left, flying around. If people were there, they must`ve died already.

They returned to Stark`s car. Both of them were shocked and pale. Barton looked like a dead man. But he still had a hope. A tiny one.

"She`s not dead, you hear me? She`s a pro, man. She`s Russian, for God's sake!"

"I know," answered a dead man.

"Does this have anything to do with the woman that you asked me to find?"

Hawkeye`s eyes filled with hope and… something new.

"Jarvis, has someone moved into apartment 8? Or to any other in this building?" Clint asked.

"Yes, sir. A man moved into apartment 11 today. Apartment 8 is uninhabited."

Okay. She wasn`t screaming to a loaders just took an advantage of it, to take his and Natasha`s attention and she just broke into empty place. So, she had tricked them. There was no doubt of that. At least now he was sure she wasn`t Tasha`s neighbor. Okay. Good. So, she'd lied about everything. For what? He knew that there were so many reasons. But, why would she pretend to be Tasha's neighbor? Yes she got in, she saw Tasha's place. A thought flashed into his head. What if Allyson had placed a bomb? There`s no way that she did that in Tasha`s apartment. Maybe in other part of the building. That was possible. But what was the point of making a show?

It was hard to think through the alcohol haze.

"Jarvis, do you have video tapes of this night with a sight on this building?"

"I was about to pull it up, sir."

A small screen showed up and a video appeared. On the right of the video , the time was shown as 12:00 AM. They saw Clint, walking out, lighting a cigarette. Then taking off. A few minutes later they saw a woman, dark haired coming back to the building.

"Oh fuck," Clint exclaimed.

"Is that Allyson Volkoff?" Tony guessed.

"Yes, that`s her."

"Then I have bad news for you." Barton looked at Tony with confusion. Tony continued, "Allyson Volkoff, as I found out, is a Red Rooms agent. Also known as Eliza Volkoff, named by her father, who owned an antique shop. They died when she was six, just like Agent Romanoff`s parents. Their shop burned. It is said that it happened accidentally, but S.H.I.E.L.D's files indicate otherwise. There was no special reason to kill them. But it seemed that they needed a girl. A girl with no parents. She was recruited to the Red Room after this tragedy. S.H.I.E.L.D. suspected that they were brought up in this organization together, Eliza and Natasha, but Romanoff never proved this information.

"Jarvis, find some better picture of her on the tapes, and send them to S.H.I.E.L.D`s files."

"Yes sir. Sir, I checked phone messages and calls of all people who live in this building…is this all right?"

"Yes, Jarvis, it`s okay. Continue."

"All of them received messages on their cell phones warning them of the bomb. On the tape, you can see that everyone left their apartments. None of them died in the fire."

"And what about Agent Romanoff and Volkoff?" Tony asked, with some hope.

"Nothing, sir. They hadn`t left."

"Is there any other way they could have left?"

-No sir. No sign of them. No second entrance or back door. "

"What about the roof?"

"No, sir. No helicopters or anything. There`s a camera on the roof. No one was there."

"Okay, Jarvis. One more thing. Does anyone in the Tower know about the fire and agent Romanoff? I mean Pepper or anyone else?"

"No, sir. No one knows. I did not awaken anyone. Just as you asked."

"Thank you, Jarvis. Good work."

Silence captured car. There was nothing to say. Just a feeling of the loss. But in a different way for each of them.

"She`s an assassin, Barton. A professional one, I`m sure she`s alive. She couldn`t just die in a fire, just like that. It`s too simple. And don`t forget about that Volkoff. How have you found out about her anyway? Is that why you were upset?"

"Yes. And also I think that she`s alive. But that`s not what I'm afraid of." He gave Tony a look full of sadness and despair and suspicion. "What if she faked her death and to join the Red Room? All facts are in front of us. The fire, Agent Volkoff, their death?"

"Clint, don`t be ridiculous." Tony tried to make it into a joke, but he couldn`t laugh. He understood all the seriousness of the situation. "Why would she do that? There`s no chance she would`ve done it. She wouldn`t do that to us!" He was trying to convince himself now. But what if… "No, there`s no way!" He was almost shouting now . "Stop thinking about it, Barton! There was no betrayal from her side! No! Don`t you even dare to think about it! And she`s alive! Yes, she`s alive and not a traitor. She`s part of the Avenger`s team for Christ's sake! And she`s your partner! She proved her loyalty years ago!"

That was such a desperate speech from Tony. An unexpected one. Wow. But Clint wasn`t listening. Such a speech and he missed it! It was a shame.

All Clint could think about was Tasha. And did she really betray them? No, he took it as personal. Did she betray HIM? He felt that there was a hole in his heart. If she didn`t, then she died. Died in a fight against a Red Rooms agent. Burnt.

"Jarvis, does S.H.I.E.L.D knows about this? About Natasha?"

"Yes, sir. But they`re not sure what to think. They`re not sure if Agent Romanoff is dead."

"And what about Agent Volkoff?"

"They didn`t have her photo before. The photo which I added to her profile today was the first one. Now they know what she looks like. They saw that it was my system that updated it, and they have a few questions for you and also for agent Barton. They`re calling him right now."

Clint finally started moving and gave some signs of being alive.

"I left my phone in at Stark Tower. What do they want?"

"They have a few questions for you, sir. Also, they are about to give you a mission involving Red Rooms Agent Volkoff."

"Tell them I'm coming."


	5. Recognizing

_In the first chapter it was said that I hope that`ll write it one day – the sexual scenes. Because I've read a few ones with them and I was so excited and I wanted to write one on my own, you know. So that`s the chapter where I tried a little. You`ve been warned._

* * *

When Clint left, Natasha hadn`t moved from her place. The only thing that changed was quantity of vodka in the bottle - it was almost empty. And also a gun, which now lied on the table. Natasha was drinking and staring at the door. Drinking and staring. Drinking and staring. She was waiting.

Almost 15 minutes had passed after Clint slammed the door when it opened again and she entered.

"So, as I see", said Natasha, sounding a little drunk, "You`re still working for Red Room and cursing like a devil?"

Allyson laughed. "And you are still drinking vodka just like devil, and seducing innocent girls?"

"Only black haired ones," she insidiously smiled and winked at her.

Allyson stepped into the room, having her own bottle, also almost empty, in her left hand.

"I see you`ve finished yours," Ally pointed with her bottle to Natasha`s on the table.

"And I see you you`ve done the same thing."

"Oh, while waiting for your 'friend'," she made a gesture with her hands mocking the word 'friend', "To get to hell out of the building, I… didn`t waste my time."

Volkoff strode to her chair, fell on it, opened her bottle and poured some liquid in their glasses, which were still on the table.

"You know," she started again, "I hadn`t seen you for years, we are enemies, and now we`re just like old friends sitting in here and drinking as we always did." She lifted her glass and after mumbling 'Cheers!' drained her glass.

"Which we are, by the way." Tasha raised her glass a little, and after the same ritual emptied it.

"I still can`t understand, was that for real that Natasha Romanoff didn't recognized me? I mean, you know me too well, or at least you knew…And that was so funny to stand there, acting so innocent, shyly respond to your flirt." Allyson was excited, wondering, with her eyes somewhere else.

"Yeah, I can`t believe that myself," Natasha said shamefacedly. "Maybe that`s because I hadn`t seen you for while. Well, it`s an understatement to say 'for a while'…"

"Yeah, you`re right. But when you saw my necklace! Oh, Jesus Christ I wanted to take a picture of you! You were so like "Oh, my dearly fuck, I can`t fucking believe it!" And then you acted like that never happened. And your boyfriend acted that too, but…"

"He`s not my boyfriend!" Tasha snapped.

"Okay, okay." She smiled jokingly. "…but I'm afraid he suspected something. Oh, what am I talking about – he did! But that`s okay. I don`t mind. Do you?"

Natasha sighed. "I just don`t want you to get caught by S.H.I.E.L.D. okay? So just don`t you fucking dare to show up like that!"

After few moments of silence, Ally finally noticed the weapon on the table.

"What`s the gun for, sweetie?" She smiled and her eyes burned wildly, while looking at Tasha`s. "I thought you trust me.," she said with a little naïve voice, just like playing in public.

She smirked, but the gun was still lying on the same place.

"I know you won`t kill me, Eliza." Allyson`s face darkened as she heard her name, her real one. "You made a promise. Years ago. Remember that? Or you have forgotten already?"

Eliza looked on the table with eyes of a dead man. The scene was in front of her eyes: _two girls, standing against each other, barely fourteen. HE was giving a group a lesson. He said: '…you have to be ready to kill anyone who`s in your way, sometimes even the closest ones…And now, point your gun at your partners head'. Eliza raised her gun to Tasha's head and looked directly in her eyes. Tasha was calm, as she had been taught. But in the deep of her eye she was scared to death._

_After end of their lesson, Eliza made her a promise._

"_I will never kill you. Never doubt this."_

Allyson repeated it out loud. Tasha was sipping the rest of her drink from the bottle.

"So, if you came not to kill me, then why are you here?" Tasha`s hand was close to her gun.

"It`s my own business. I`m here to warn you, and also for the promise to be fulfilled."

"Information first," Tasha answered coldly.

"Still remember Red Room? Well, they haven't forgotten you either. And they still want you back." Allyson was telling it with a little guilt and concern in her voice, " And they think that you`ll come back or they will get you anyway. So just…I wanted to warn you," she smiled, "Beware the wolf."

Natasha was close to laughing. She was drunk and this was so ridiculous to her right now. Even though the threat was real. She smiled to Eliza and gave her a thankful look.

"You were always there for me when I needed you, weren't you?"

"Just like you for me," she returned the smile. "We were partners, remember?"

"I remember even more," she bit her lip and gave a teasing look.

Eliz caught her mood, and without breaking their eye contact, continued.

"Do you remember Paris?"

"Oh, yes, I do." Tasha sighted heatedly. "That was our last mission together. And…" she paused a little before continuing. She looked down, her eyes were shining. "I made a promise. After two incredible nights, tiring but insanely incredible I would say," she was breathless, remembering, "I gave you a promise. I felt that I will never see you after that, and I gave you a promise…"

"I still can`t understand how to hell you knew that HE would separate us after it. But I was grateful for those words – they gave me hope. Even when you changed sides– I knew it was still possible. Just because you promised." She looked at Natasha, begging.

"I couldn`t let you go, just like that. You meant too much."

"And you broke it," Eliza sighed with pretended sadness.

"How dare I?" Natasha teased, playfully.

"You said from the first moment you`ll see me." She smiled.

"Well, sorry for the audience. I didn`t want to make you feel ashamed and lost and all those mixed feelings," she exclaimed dramatically with a laugh playing on her lips, ready to get out.

They settled into silenced, looking into their glasses.

"Do you have anyone?"

"No, I don`t."

"And that cute 'co-worker' of yours? What about him?"

"Still no."

Eliza stood up and leaned on the wall.

"And do you have anyone?" Natasha asked quietly.

"Nope…"

"So…then with clear consciences…"

She sprang up towards Eliza. She cupped her face in her hands, looked at her gently and kissed her right on the lips. Eliza answered it passionately.

Natasha couldn`t resist her desire. She couldn`t stop, not even for a second. As she felt her feelings returned, it increased even more.

While kissing, they were about to move from the wall, but Tasha pushed her back roughly. Eliza groaned sexily.

"I see you haven't changed that much, after all."

Eliza smiled temptingly and gave Natasha another impatient kiss. She placed her hands around Tasha`s waist and then, going further, tweaking her ass and slapping it hard.

Tasha wasn`t in the mood for talking. She was already inflamed. She couldn`t wait. She was naughty and full of impatience. Her hands fell lower to Eliza's breasts. Eliza's shirt was in her way to happiness – she ripped it off furiously, leaving nothing from it. She pulled off her bra slowly. Tasha started kissing her neck, biting it, licking it. She was going lower – collarbone was attacked with her kisses. Her tongue was slowly going lower and lower. She was licking her nipples now. She sucked them hard while her other hand snaked into Eliza's pants, going lower to her clit.

Tasha placed her lips back on Eliza`s. Her tongue slipped into her mouth. She couldn`t stop kissing her. It was like there was no air in the room and Eliza`s mouth was the only place to get any.

She pressed her harder to the wall, making the distance between them close to nothing. She wanted to merge with her into one. She used two of her fingers to rub Eliza's clit, wanting her to moan louder.

Eliza`s eyes opened wildly and she moaned. She wanted it never to stop. Only get deeper and harder.

Eliza, groaning, roughened their kiss, biting and sucking Natasha's tongue. She knew her old Russian lover could make her scream with ecstasy, even standing up, leaning on the wall. But she was not interested in it.

"Floor, now!" she whispered, breathing hardly.

"No way," Tasha answered, breathless. "Bedroom," she commanded.

"Why wait and move?"

"There`s your favorite red and black sheets…"

"I`m intrigued." She raised her eyebrow and cockily smiled.

Eliza pushed her away hard, looking at her wildly and tempting. Then she kissed her roughly, and they made their way to bedroom.

"I will make my best."

Those were the last words to be spoken. Well, plus some moaning, screaming exclamations in Russian.

They were lying on the bed, lost in dark sheets. Their mouths were begging for some air.

"I`m not done with you". Tasha was dissatisfied. "I have something more to show you. You'll never forget it."

"Oh, I believe you, red. Even if you`re drunk, you can still make your 'victim' scream." They chuckled. " I`d love you to do it, really, even thought I don`t know what ELSE can be done. But it`s almost two o`clock now." She sighed. "Do you have anything precious in here that you`d like to save?"


	6. Youd better calm down

Clint was heading to S.H.I.E.L.D`s office, to find out about his mission and about this 'Volkoff' skank. Yeah, that`s what his drunk alter ego called her – skank. He didn't even have any real justification it. Anyway, that thought pissed him off too (and don`t even ask which one – he couldn't tell), so after dropping off Tony at the Tower, (assuring him that he was sober enough to drive - which he was for the moment, he really was) he 'borrowed' Stark`s stash from the trunk of the sports car that he was driving. Clint knew that the Man of Steel always had it, everywhere. No, he wasn`t an alcoholic or anything. He just had it. Always. EVERYWHERE.

He knew it was immature. Everyone who knew what he was doing would`ve said that it was immature. And that he had no sense of responsibility. And he was foolish. And childish. And dumb. Doesn't matter if it was repeating. It was still true.

It didn`t seem like Clint. He was never that reckless, believe it or not.

Half of the bottle of really 'Goddamn great' whisky was already gone when he parked his car and stepped out of it. Luckily, there were still some bread crumbs of his intelligence left in his head, so he didn't take his 'cocktail' with him.

He manned up, focused, glued his shattered pieces into something whole Calmer, but still shaken up a little, he sighed. He was ready to go.

You know that feeling when drunk kids, whose heads haven't cleared after their little binge, come home and their main aim is to not to get busted? Well, it was almost the same situation - but instead of parents, Nick Fury was waiting for him.

Barton waited on the chair near Fury`s office until he was permitted to enter.

As he walked in, Director Fury was sitting in front of his desk taking a closer look at some files. Clint knew that to not get busted, he shouldn`t avoid eye contact. He should act like normal, with maybe just a little less breathing (to avoid filling the room with the smell of alcohol, of course) and less talking, especially trying to avoid saying things that hadn't been well thought out. So he just walked in, sat in front of the director simply, facing the storm that was about to start.

"Agent Barton! You got here faster than we thought. That means you`ll have more time to get through details and maybe", he took in the assassin's condition, "get some sleep".

'Oh fuck he _knows_', Clint thought, but trying not to show that he knew that _he_ knew.

Fury tossed a file towards him. Clint took it without confidence, as if he was not sure that he could handle it.

"Your mission for today is pretty simple – you just have to watch and nothing else." He looked at Clint as if waiting for some reaction. And there it was! Barton's face straightened and turned angry.

Clint could feel it happening and tried to calm down.

"Any interfere is forbidden, Barton. That`s an order".

As Clint was looking through his file and was not really paying attention, Fury decided that he would wait until the agent had read it to the end and give some time to respond. And _then _he would give more detailed information about the targets.

As Clint finally came back to the outer world, Fury began. "The buyer – Vadim Kratovich – is trying to get on the list of people that own…em…certain technology in the world. And to be honest, he almost has. He is highly suspicious and smart, but not in daily life and deals like this. He doesn`t listen to anyone. Deals like this were made by other people that were employed by him, but today he has no choice, by certain circumstances, but to do it himself. And as it the first time he`s going out, it's a perfect time to kill. That` s why there should be more guards than usual. He`s in our way, just like in the Red Room's. As we know, Kratovich might have displeased the Room. So they're coming with vengeance and more cash in their pocket." Fury watched Clint`s face while talking, and heknew that the agent was waiting for _that_ part. "The Russian scientist will 'buy' some kind of program, which you don't really need to know about. The details are in your file."

The director scooted his chair in a little. "The seller—the person that will be representing Red Room in the deal – is Allyson, also known as Eliza, Volkoff – presumably a spy and assassin. But she is more like a con artist to us. She likes to perform to the public and flirt a lot, which is not really fitting for a spy. But she`s one of the smartest, the trickiest, a master of her work, and that`s why we don't have any pictures of her. She _was _too cautious." Fury gave Clint a look indicating they would come back to that theme later. "She`ll be the one who`ll sell the program, and then she will have to kill all of them. Your job is to just to watch them trading, killing each other. Do not interfere. I repeat, no interference. Don`t you even fucking dare. Just watch. If she`s able to fulfill her mission – follow her. If not, and she dies there, come back and report. Other people are already on Kratovich trail. Everything else is in your file. Any questions, Agent?"

Clint`s face looked pretty messed up as he looked through the file. He was calming down every minute, defeating every thought that crossed his mind. But then he couldn`t go on.

"Why can`t I take my bow?" He furrowed his eyebrows as if he couldn`t understand.

"It`s not going to be discussed, agent. You`ll have to obey this time. You won't be able to shoot the Rooms Agent. But you'll still have all you other stuff – guns, knives… Anything you want, but not a bow."

Fury had a point. If he wanted to kill that skank, and enjoy it, he would want to do it with his bow. Without out, it could wait, he thought. So he obeyed, like there was anything else to do!

When he was about to stand up and leave, Fury spoke again.

"And now, Barton, tell me everything _you_ know about Volkoff, betrayal and the real information about the agent. Right now. You`d better start."


	7. He knows

Clint took his spot on the roof after setting some special bugs that were created by Stark Industries. He took everything he needed – he was prepared to observe. Even thought he seemed to be calm and self-controlled, deep down he was pissed and was ready to Hulk out like Bruce.

The first thing that he was angry about was that Fury had forbidden him to take his bow. He was an archer, for God's sake! What was he supposed to do without it? The order was concrete – kill no one. Just observe and follow. That`s all. And that was the second reason he was angry – why couldn`t he kill the Red Room`s bitch?

The third one was Natasha. He couldn`t figure her out. He looked back at the mess that she had left behind, and he just couldn`t. He didn`t know what to think. He had a feeling that she was alive. That was good. But what about her betrayal? Was it true or not? Every cell in his body screamed that she hadn't betrayed them, only because he was afraid of it the most. His instincts didn't know for sure, but his mind (and the facts) suggested strongly that she had. There was a struggle in him. He felt lost and confused.

The warehouse was surrounded by Kratovich's bodyguards. There were about 20 outside: settled on the perimeter, in front of the doors and down the road. The message was clear – Kratovich was important.

A black car parked towards the entrance and a man, about sixty years old, stepped out. He wore a posh suit and he held a briefcase in his right hand. Money, Clint thought, or a device that could transfer it.

As he entered the wooden building (Clint thought it was a dumb location to have a deal) and seven guards followed him inside (the extra seven, those twenty were still outside), Clint heard the roar of the motorcycle. When it parked, he saw a small woman dismount. She was wearing black jeans, big boots, a white shirt, and a jacket that she decided to leave on the motorcycle. As she removed her helmet, long black hair covered her shoulders.

Clint was speechless. He had been expecting that, but hadn't been sure before.

Gladly, Allyson was alone.

Clint was surprised by her choice of clothes and transportation. It seemed to be an important deal and she showed up like _that_. It reminded him how similarly naughty Natasha could be. He smiled. But then he cleared his head quickly. He shouldn`t like this agent, or look for the similarities between two.

She grabbed a black briefcase, which was supposed to contain a certain technology. It was said in the file that Shield had found out that the tech wasn`t real – they just had to sell it and get huge pile of money. Enough money to buy an island or something, easy. To convince buyers that that tech worked, Red Room created a program that would imitate what the thing was supposed to do. But it would last only for two hours. And that was enough.

She entered the warehouse with a pleasant smile on her face. Even in that outfit she looked gorgeous. As Clint looked closer at her neck and arms, he saw a few almost unnoticeable bruises and scratches. She could have been on a mission recently, he thought. But he hadn`t seen any of that yesterday.

Volkoff greeted the man in Russian, and in a few minutes the deal was made. Kratovich himself checked to see if the program was properly working. He was paranoid. Then he nodded to her, but it seemed like it was also a signal to guards that the woman hadn`t fooled him. He passed the briefcase to one of his men and took out a small device that would transfer the money.

"The final destination had changed, Mr. Kratovich", she said with pleased smile and gave him a small sheet of paper. He seemed to be surprised, but obeyed and typed new numbers.

Clint knew nothing about the change. And he didn`t really bothered himself with it, as the money would go to the one of Red Rooms accounts, anyway.

As he finished and she got the money, Eliza looked around. It was about time to start a party. The doors of the warehouse were closed and it would take about two minutes for a guard to be able to enter, because she had left a little surprise there.

She was ready.

Clint prepared himself for an action movie. He thought that this was a suicide mission, because she was alone. It seemed impossible even for a Red Room`s agent.

As they said goodbye to each other, Kratovich started to walk away from Eliza and his guards, which was a huge mistake. She exploited the situation. She pulled her gun from nowhere (it seemed to be the Rooms thing!) and shot the two biggest guards in the head, then killed the entrepreneur. There was no doubt that they hadn`t expected that.

They quickly took out their guns and started shooting at her. She jumped left with a flip, and then again, so that bullets couldn`t reach her. She started doing some acrobatic moves to buy her some time. When the guards were out of bullets, they started moving towards her. She shot two more, so that only three of them remained.

They attacked her at once. She ducked, avoiding a blow. She kicked one of them in the stomach, making him bend and step out. Now she cleared enough space for other two. A punch caught her in the face, but she only grinned. With her every move, Clint became more impressed with her training. As two of the guards passed out, the third came at her from behind. He lifted her and started choking her.

The door exploded, setting fire to two of the guards outside. The explosion was so strong that Eliza and her attacker were thrown deeper into the warehouse. She took the advantage and stabbed him in the heart.

As she put those seven down, more guards came at her. They were going to gather in here little by little, not all at once, but still quickly enough.

Three forced their way through a back entrance, and three came from the front. She wasn`t going to give up. She was ready to fight.

Gun shots were heard, and three guards fell with bullets in their heads.

Suddenly, red hair rushed into the building, covering her back, shooting the guard following her. Eliza smirked and defended herself from the one which had been left behind. The two who were close to Natasha spotted her and decided to deal with her first. Out of ammo, Natasha dropped her guns on the floor. She smirked at the two men heading towards her. In a minute, they were dead.

As Clint was staring at the fight and the situation around them, he thought that Allyson wouldn't make it. That was until he saw Black Widow entering the warehouse with a boom, killing a few of Volkoff's adversaries. He was stunned. He couldn`t believe his eyes. Half of him sighed with relief that she was alive, but the other half wasn't feeling any better, because she was helping her enemy to kill her enemy`s enemies. What the hell? He couldn`t believe she betrayed them…him.

As they finished with the ones that had entered, more were coming. While waiting and preparing, Eliza looked considerably alarmed.

"Why are you here, Tasha?"

"Decided to help you out", she grinned. But that wasn't the whole reason.

"Why did you come? It`s an act of betrayal to SHIELD to help their enemy."

More guards appeared, and so they were busy for a moment. The fight was tougher this time. Natasha felt a bone crack in her leg. leg which made her furious. Two guards were on the floor in a few seconds. Eliza bested her foes as well.

"Because _that_ sounded like a goodbye," Natasha said, facing the entrance so that Eliza could only see her back.

"Which it is," she said blankly. She knew that Natasha wouldn`t like it.

"Why?" Natasha choked.

"Because it is my last mission today".

Three more guards entered from both sides, heading towards them. They had guns and were trying to shoot them. Both agents, following one technique, used those guns as an advantage, and with their help shot the others, while using the body of one as a live shield.

"Why?" Natasha asked again. "Where are they going to send you?"

"Not them." She shook her head. They were still facing the entrances, waiting for the last guards. "Not them. Myself". Tasha looked over her shoulder and gave her a questioned look. "I`m tired of Red Room".

Natasha knew too well how one left the Red Room. She couldn`t believe Eliza's words. 'This can't be happening,' she thought.

Natasha turned around, headed to Eliza and then stopped herself halfway, leaving her back uncovered. "So I was right. It was a goodbye. But why right now? Why here? Why the fuck would you come to me?!" She was screaming now. Screaming out of desperation and hurt, which she was trying to suppress.

"I wanted to see you…before I ended it." She turned to Natasha. The remaining guards were about to step in, so both agents grabbed the guns from the floor from the dead guards and started shooting, covering each others' backs. The guards hid behind the wall, waiting.

Romanoff and Volkoff were facing each other now. "If I knew this was our the "goodbye sex", I would`ve done more." She smirked, making herself not to fall apart from her real feelings. Eliza started laughing hysterically while waiting the guard to come out.

They turned serious again. "Why?" Tasha asked quietly, concerned.

"Because I can`t do this anymore. You were right when you left the Room. I thought you were crazy at first. But now I realize that I was the one who was nuts." She was silent for a second. "At the time, I couldn`t believe you sold us out."

"To be honest, you were the only secret I kept. I told them everything about Rooms, everything I knew. Everything, but you."

She felt a huge lump in her throat.

"Why?" She questioned again in bewilderment.

"Because you`re my partner. You were and you`ll always be. And I would`ve never let you down".

They shot two out of four approaching guards. Then, out of bullets, they were ready for another hand to hand fight.

While watching all of this – the fight, Natasha, their confessions – Clint felt like he was falling apart. He realized that she wasn`t a traitor. No. She just wanted to help her friend. Her lover. And her partner.

He never knew that Natasha had a partner before him. She never told anyone. Even _him,_ her _current_ partner. He also hadn`t expected that they were lovers. He couldn`t believe she exchanged him on her. It was like someone had stabbed him in the back.

The guard that Natasha was fighting had a knife in his hand. She dodged it, but he was a tricky son of a bitch, so he cut her cheek deeply, and pretty badly. She broke his arm for that. She felt a deep cut in her leg too but she wasn`t going to pay any attention.

As Eliza finished with the other guard, they met in the center.

"There`s a bomb exploding in five, so you`d better leave, while no one else is coming to take us down," Eliza said.

"Wait, are you staying?" Natasha looked at her with bewildered eyes. That made sense. She was prepared for her death. She had done everything she wanted in her life in one day. She met her partner after they were separated when they were eighteen; she'd had the night of her life, lusting her old lover; she had a mission on her last day and killed a few bad guys; she shared a fight with her partner; she finally got rid of the Rooms—well, actually she would get rid of them when she died gracefully in the fire while on the mission. It was a perfect plan, a perfect day to die for an assassin.

But not in Natasha`s watch.

"Come with me", she begged now.

"Where? To SHIELD? Very funny," she gestured with a smile. "It`s not gonna work for me like it worked for you."

Natasha started thinking frantically. She had to find a way out.

"There`s a world besides these two agencies. Not other ones. I mean, we could`ve run away together. I would`ve looked after you. And you would live." There was a fire in her eyes. For at that moment she was ready to say anything, that would have persuaded Volkoff not to eliminate herself

"And what about your partner? You want to leave him?"

"He is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Agent Barton heard the whole conversation. And he couldn`t believe Tasha`s words. She sounded like a completely different person now. First of all, she was trying to do the same thing that he had once done for her – save someone and give them a new life in Shield. Then she was offering to run away. How could she? He couldn`t understand. And then they talked about him. She was ready to leave him for her, for her enemy, for the Red Room's agent. She _was_ a traitor in some way. Clint felt crushed. The woman who was with him for so many years, turned her back on him. She was ready to leave her only friend.

Eliza found this idea really tempting. She wanted that more than anything else. But if she ran away from Red Room, they would never stop looking for her and Natasha. While Tasha was with SHIELD, she was safe. And if she leaves…No. Eliza couldn`t do it. She had to end it today.

"No," she answered, insisting that her decision couldn't be changed.

Tasha was furious about that. She was holding up, she tried to live while paying a price, so why couldn`t Eliza? Why would she take the easy way out? Like it was said before, it wasn`t going to happen in her watch.

Tasha grabbed her hand, just like she wanted to take her with her. But Eliza struggled and pushed her off. They looked at each other with bewilderment and anger.

In Tasha`s mind, the only way to get Eliza out of the warehouse was through force. But not to kill her, not to put her in a coma. Just enough so she wouldn`t be able to struggle. Natasha's aim was Eliza's legs, so she won`t be able to walk by herself, arm so she won`t be able to fight back, and also a few weak points to push.

In Eliza`s mind, she had to defend herself and do enough damage so Natasha wouldn`t be able to take her out of the warehouse, but would still be able to get to hell out by herself before everything exploded. Her aim was Natasha's other leg – one was already cut - so it will take all the strength from her, her arm, so she won`t be able to drag her body, and put a few bruises to the general picture.

So their goals were pretty similar, but for a different cause.

As the realization of their plans began, Clint couldn`t take his eyes from them. They were moving carefully towards each other looking for a blind spot. It was a truly amazing view.

In two minutes they separated again, moving back in different directions, waiting. Natasha` leg was already broken, so was Eliza`s arm. More bruises decorated Tasha's already bruised body. Eliza was breathing hard. That`s when another two guards appeared from nowhere, which was totally unexpected. They weren`t around so where the fuck did they came from?

Natasha reacted quickly, but the other man snuck up on Eliza and hit in the head, hard. She fell on the floor and in the next second moment she was chained with handcuffs to the dead body of the biggest guard. The guard who had done that smirked and kicked her in her face with his foot. He took his gun out.

For Natasha, this fight was really hard. It was almost impossible to move with her legs injured that much. The agent managed to break her arm, from which she screamed in pain. He punched her in her chest and in her back. She was an easy target right now but the big guy had also got his reward with her fists. When he started choking her from her behind, she sneakily pulled her knife out and stabbed him a few times. His arms released her throat and he fell on the floor.

Natasha wasn`t far from Eliza, just a few steps. She saw a gun in the man's hands, which was now pointed at her. Eliza took her knife from her boot and threw it at him. But it wasn`t quick enough. He pulled the trigger a split second faster. He fell on the ground, dropping his gun.

Natasha`s face looked momentarily shocked, but it calmed again. Her hands were placed on her stomach. The blood leaked through her hands. She stared at Eliza and collapsed on her knees, still trying to make it through. She was looking at her trembling bloody hands.

She was too tough to end like this.

When Clint was watching the women fight, he didn`t know what to think or do. He heard about the bomb and he wanted Tasha immediately to get out. Then the two guards came and another fight started. He wanted to go there and help and then get the hell out of there. But he had his orders – not to interfere. He was holding himself against his will.

But then the shot was made. He saw Natasha falling on her knees with a blood all over. He couldn`t stay there anymore. He took off.

Natasha was breathing heavily, like something was impeding her. She leaned against her one hand on the floor, while other was holding the wound.

"One minute, twenty seconds". Eliza announced as she looked at her watch. She looked disturbed while gazing at her bleeding partner. "You`ve got to get out of here, now!" She was worried.

"Can`t you come with me?" She asked quietly, almost pleadingly, raising her head so her yes could meet her black haired partner.

She rose her hand, showing that she`s been chained. "Break them".

"I can`t, these are special. Can`t be broken or cracked. Or if they can, I still hadn't figured out how."

"I can carry you out, even chained to a bad guy", she said confidently.

"Tasha." Eliza chuckled. "You can`t. In your best form, you could`ve do it in about five minutes. But now…Let`s be honest, you can`t even take care of yourself…" She turned upset. "Forty seconds."

"I`m…" Natasha coughed blood, spitting the rest of it on the floor. "I`m not leaving you".

"Thirty two." Eliza was praying now. She hoped her lover would survive.

Natasha bent her head again. She wasn`t able to continue struggling. A normal person would`ve passed out already. Even thought she wasn't a normal person, black spots started to appear in her eyes, and her vision was failing. She prepared to death.

When Clint ran into the warehouse, Tasha was bending her head down. She had betrayed him, but he wasn`t a pouting child, he couldn`t let his partner die. Not her, not today. As he reached her, Eliza, fully conscious said "Twenty five. Run". He nodded, feeling badly that he couldn`t take her with him. It showed in his eyes, and Volkoff told them to run one more time. When he lifted Natasha in his arms, her skin was a little bit colder than usual. She was already unconscious, and her hand fell from her bloody stomach. Horror filled his eyes as he realized that his partner, his Natasha, could die any minute, if she hadn`t done so already.

He ran towards the exit. When he was only a few dozen steps away from the building, it exploded. Red flames were eating it alive.

Not a scream was heard.


	8. Waiting

_**Hello, Hello! I`m so sorry for not writing and publishing it earlier! It`s just my computer died. Literally. This chapter was written and published only because I 'stole' my brothers computer when he was (finally) out. God bless him ha ha. **_

_**Oh and, you would`ve die reading this, if not only my amazing Beta. Thank you very much.**_

_**Don`t know how amazing or not this chapter is. I had three hours plus or minus and this was born. **_

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"What time is it?" Clint asked quietly. Tony looked at him, not even bothering to fully move his head. He sighed – that was not the first time he'd heard that question.

"Not yet."

His SHIELD standard suit was covered in blood. Red also coated his hands and part of his face, neck and hair. He was sitting on bench outside the operating room, waiting.

His hands were shaking. He made a few attempts to stand up, but he soon decided to sit again, because his feet were shaky and walking back and forth brought him no peace.

He had a few hours to kill before the operation would be over. A few hours and he would know if she was alive and would soon awake; or if she would need some time to recover, after which she could awaken.

He did not allow himself to think even of even one negative possibility.

Clint had a lot of time to kill. He was tapping his fingers across the bench, running his hands through his hair, playing 'drums' on his knees with his palms, concentrating on his breathing, counting people who walked in and out.

Every minute felt like an hour. Every hour - like a freaking day.

He was master of it – of waiting. He could wait days without moving. He was a Hawk.

But this was a different situation.

Clint had almost reached his breaking point and was barely restraining himself from running into the operating room when, finally, doctor came to him with news.

"Mr. Barton?" Clint nodded. "I am Dr. Heinzwidcht. I believe it was you who brought Ms. Romanoff in here?" Clint silently nodded once again, anxious to hear the news in which he was actually interested. "You made it to our hospital at the right time. Her heart had already been stopped for a minute then. Just a few more and she could have died. But..." He stopped for a little bit, thinking, clearing the bad images from his mind. "You made it in time".

Clint already knew this information. He knew her heart had stopped. In that moment he could swear his did, too.

"So what`s the treatment, Doc? How is she?"

That was the most dangerous question – the answer meant everything.

The doctor heavily sighed. Not a good sign. But for doctors, every broken bone was bad news, so perhaps not everything was lost.

"Well, I don`t even know where to start." Clint held his breath. It was like the trial time. "Ok. So she has a broken leg, a deep cut in another one, a broken arm, three broken ribs, a major concussion, massive blood loss, and numerous contusions all over her body." The doctor fell silent.

Clint was horrified that Tasha should`ve experienced such pain. He should`ve interfered when it wasn`t as bad as that, he thought.

"And what about now? How is she, and where? Tell me."

"She is stable, for now. But still not conscious. There`s a small chance she will fall into a coma, but we all agreed that she will most likely just be unconscious for a few more days. But it will be a hard recovery for her, with that list of injuries…" The doctor shook his head slowly, almost unnoticeably, just to himself. "But anyway, she will be okay. You can visit her tomorrow, if you want. But today no visitors are allowed." And with that, he excused himself, leaving Clint deep in his own thoughts.

"What time is it?" Clint asked blankly, staring at the empty wall.

Tony sighed quietly, feeling pity for his friend. This 'waiting game' was no fun. Even he, Tony, was in no mood to have fun. And neither was Clint. But who could blame him? Only an insensible fool, Tony thought.

Tony stood up, looked quickly at Clint and his unmoving posture, and then headed to the kitchen to pour some coffee in their cups. When he came back, nothing had changed. He put their cups on the table, seated himself and sighed again.

"Not yet."

"Director Fury, you wanted to see me?" Clint awkwardly opened the door into the Directors office. It was 3:00 in the morning, and almost no one was in the office.

"Yes. Come in, Barton. I need to talk to you".

Clint entered and took a seat opposite Fury. He shifted a little bit uncomfortably, still worrying about Natasha and also because of the aftermath of his and her actions.

"You haven`t been debriefed after your mission. And also…why the hell am I the last one to find out about Agent Romanoff and her condition?" He was furious now.

Clint frowned. "Uh-oh", he thought, but stayed silent.

"I still don`t know what happened, but I was told that the buyer, Kratovich, and all his security are dead, as is our Red Rooms Agent, Allyson Volkoff. Is that true Agent Barton?"

"Yes, sir."

"And also, that the entire building exploded, with everything and everyone inside. Is _that_ true, Agent Barton?" He was less pissed now, but there was still something threatening in his voice.

"Yes, sir."

"No survivors?"

"No survivors." He blankly answered.

"And now, I want to hear the truth. You hear me? _Only_ the truth." He stopped for a second, making a special pause, preparing himself. "Was Agent Romanoff there with you, or with the Red Rooms Agent?"

Clint`s head shot up and his eyes slightly widened for a second. _"He doesn`t know." _That was all he thought. And _that_ gave him a new direction to move in.

"Why would you think that?" Clint gave him a fake confused look.

"Don`t mess with me, Barton! Agent Romanoff is in the hospital now, I know every detail about her condition and also that she was brought in by _you_ at the time when your mission was about to end. So the main question is, how the _fuck_ did she end up beaten, shot and carried in your arms?"

Clint mind was working fast. Fury had suspicions, but he didn`t know anything for certain. It was a moment that needed to be taken advantage of.

"Right after the mission, after the whole warehouse burnt down, I received a message from Agent Romanoff with coordinates and a request for aid. When I found her, she was unconscious on the deserted street, covered in blood. She was cold and had a slow pulse. So I grabbed her and took directly to the hospital. En route, her heart stopped, as you know, but I was fast enough getting her to help and she was saved. An hour ago, also as you know, her operation ended and I got news about her. That she would live. But I'm curious myself why she was in that state when I got there, and _why_ she was there, and what the hell happened? So, answering your question, no, I don`t know why she ended up beaten and shot."

That was a high caliber lie. Oh yes, he was an excellent liar.

Fury looked in his eyes, searching for a lie. Clint sat still, waiting for Fury`s decision. It looked like he believed, but you could never say for certain.

"You can go now, Barton…" He looked at the archer, still covered with blood, with a pitying look. "Go clean up yourself and get some rest. I will talk to you later."

"Goodnight, Director." Clint nodded as a goodbye, stood up and headed out of the office. He made a note to himself to ask Tony to make sure that message was 'sent' from Tasha`s phone.

He heavily sighed, realizing that he had just lied to the Director.

"What time is it?"

It had already become a rhetorical question.

He could no longer wait. He abruptly stood up and headed to the elevator.

Tony widened his eyes as his friend suddenly took off, after all those hours of waiting. Clint just wanted to take his quiver and bow and practice for a little.

He felt Tony's eyes on his back, but he didn`t pay attention. He wanted to leave. Now. If something happened, JARVIS would tell him immediately.

When he reached the elevator, he pressed the button and waited until the doors opened. But he didn`t move. The cabin was just in front of him. "Just step in, Clint and go and blow off some steam!" His inner voice shouted to him.

But he couldn`t. He bowed his head and sighed. The doors closed. He slowly returned to the couch and fell tiredly onto it.

"Not yet." Tony said quietly, mostly to himself.

"Good morning, Mr. Barton. How can I help you?" Dr. Heinzwidcht politely asked.

"It`s been three days since she got here and she's still unconscious. Any progress today, maybe?" Clint looked worried, and rather like he hadn't slept since the accident.

Well, that was because he hadn't, actually.

"Oh, yes. About an hour ago she woke up, but not for long. Still, it _is_ good news. I believe that she will be awake soon again. In a few hours, maybe."

Clint felt relieved. Finally. A slight satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"But there was a strange request from the patient, which you probably won`t like. At all." He looked like it was his, Doctors fault. And also that he felt pity for the man who was in front of him.

"What happened?" He was highly concerned now. Not Good.

"Miss Romanoff asked that we let no visitors into her room."

That was quite a shock for Clint.

"Not even me?"

"No, sir. I asked her the same thing, as I was also quite surprised, since it was you who brought her here. I told her about it, but she still insisted on no visitors. I`m sorry to tell you that."

"I`m her partner! I`m the one who saved her! I`m the only one she can trust. This can`t be true."

Clint felt bewildered. Bewildered and confused. And pretty angry, a moment later. "Nonsense!" He thought. But if she wanted no visitors, that was just _fine_! He wouldn`t bother her.

But then, another thought hit him.

"Doctor!" Dr. Heinzwidcht was about to leave but turned back to the young man. "Can you transfer her to another floor? To a higher one? You can do that, right?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Barton. We have a free room, but what for?" He looked bewildered.

"I have my own reasons for that. Plus, fewer people would try to bother her. Right? So please, transfer her. Right now."

Doctor left, confused, heading to do what Clint had asked. Well, demanded.

Clint left to grab some coffee at a café across the street. He decided to drink it there, outside the café, not in the hospital as he had done previously. He felt so good then, peaceful. He knew she was already awake once, and she would be again soon. He would see her. Hug her, feel her warmth once again.

He shivered with the hot cup of coffee in his hand. He remembered as he held her unconscious in his hands, so cold… He shook off that feeling, that memory.

He sipped his coffee quietly, and then headed back to the hospital. When he was close enough to it, he saw a group of security guards combined with police officers, all of whom were discussing something. Inside was some fuss. Then the group separated, took off to look for something.

Clint`s heart froze, his breath stopped. "No." He breathed.

He ran as fast as he could. He entered, ran to the 5th floor and saw Dr. Heinzwidcht . He was talking to the police officers. Room 513 was empty, the door flung open, just like windows. The white curtains were fluttering in the blowing wind.

The doctor spotted Clint in the corridor and gave him a pitying look, saying he was sorry for everything, even if it wasn`t his fault. And then Clint understood everything. He didn`t want to believe in it, but the facts were there.

Natasha had escaped.

"What time is it?"

Tony sighed. He couldn`t even count how many times this question had been asked, not even meaning what it usually meant.

"Not y-" But he was interrupted by the loud breaking, beeping sound which came from the computer. In a second, both of them were on their feet, already running to the screen. So full of hope.

A huge screen appeared on the wall and big red words appeared on it. _"NO RESULTS"_. It said.

"Nothing." Tony stated, quite astonished. "At least something, but he should`ve…" He didn't finish his sentence and started quickly typing on the keyboard. In a few moments, the same phrase re-appeared on the screen. Tony was now twice as astonished than he was before. He was panicking now.

"But it can`t be! That red head should`ve left at least something! Something we could've used to find her! And my system! It`s too good to fail! It's never just 'no results!' I can't believe this!" He started typing again.

Clint stood frozen there. In the same spot. Just stood there with not a single emotion on his face. There was not even a thought in his head. His mind was blank just like his face. Nothing left.

He took a step back, looking down, feeling lost and betrayed. Tony also gave up in the same way, turned back and intently looking at Clint. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"What should we do?" Tony asked with some hope in his voice. A hope that his teammate had some ideas, because he had run out of them.

Clint sighed heavily, admitting something that he had been afraid of.

"Start a new search, Stark. Maybe she's already left the country. Check any possible way of doing that." Stark nodded and in a few minutes everything was done.

Both of them returned to their seats, with new cups of coffee in their hands, resting, and waiting.

"What time is it?"

In a few hours, Clint got a call from the Agency. The secretary informed him that Fury wanted to see him in an hour. Clint was worried that the director had found out about his lie or maybe, even worse – he found out about Natasha`s actions. He didn`t want to think about that. But he was interested in learning if SHIELD was looking for her, tracking her somehow, just like he and Stark did, after her escape from the hospital.

Yes, Clint knew that she could heal faster than others, but still! Her heart had stopped, she had lost a lot of blood, had a concussion, and she couldn't fully move her body. It`d been only three days since her surgery and a few hours since she woke up and she escaped! Yes, she healed fast, but not in three days.

He was worried and furious. Even now, he couldn`t understand why the hell she had forbidden him to visit her. Maybe, she couldn`t look in his eyes after all… "Yeah, you wish," he thought. "Maybe, she didn`t ever give a shit about you, Barton. Who the fuck do you think you are?"

His aggressive mood passed as quickly as it had taken him over from the inside. He sighed.

He wished that everything had never happened. That none of this ever happened. Never. Only a bad, weird dream. Volkoff, drinking together, Tasha`s weird behavior, Tasha`s betrayal, or not, Tasha hiding information, the burnt building, that mission, the fight, the gun, the dead bodies, Tasha`s cold body in his hands, waiting, lying to Fury, Tasha`s unwillingness to see him, her escape, his attempts to track her down. All that shit. He wished it had never happened.

But still. It had.

And now he was going to have another conversation with the Director.

"Come in, Barton".

Clint entered the room, looking for some indication that Fury was pissed. But surprisingly, he found none.

"I know that Agent Romanoff has 'left' the hospital recently. What _you_ don`t know, probably, is that she showed up here, in the hellicarier, and asked for some vacation time. Which I gladly gave her."

Clint though that he couldn`t get any more shocked after everything that had happened. Well, hello again!

His jaw dropped. He hadn`t expected that! She showed up here? No way. She wouldn`t dare.

"I don`t know what happened to her, but she really looked pretty badly beaten up. When she asked for the vacation, I was quite surprised, because it`s Agent Romanoff we're talking about. But still, even without knowing what she had done, I was glad to give it to her. As I said, I don`t know what happened Barton, but the only thing of which I _am_ sure, is that you are the worst liar ever, and don`t you even dare to try to justify yourself."

Clint`s jaw opened even more. He was still thinking - was this for real?

"I guess after working with Romanoff you grew some balls, ha? Anyway, I called you to come here, because I wanted to inform you personally that you`re being suspended for the concealment of information and lying to, well, me. _Your_ 'vacation' starts right now. And you will be 'resting' for three weeks, at least. You are forbidden from leaving the United States. Are we clear?"

Clint was quite shocked. Again. He was starting to get bored with it – being shocked.

He'd just been suspended for the second time in his life. Despite that, despite this whole situation, he was interested in one question. Only one, which occupied his mind entirely.

"How long will _her_ 'vacation' last for? A week, month?"

Fury smirked. "Two months, at least."

"You gave her an 'open ticket'? With no end date? Are you sure that she'll even come back?"

It was getting old, being shocked.

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**_Thank for reading! Please review! _**

**_Reviews will bring my computer back to life sooner (I hope)._**


	9. Mail

Clint was sitting on the couch, throwing a baseball ball up and catching it with his hands. And _that_ was pathetic.

Tony was sipping his coffee – it was 5 in the morning -, staring at Clint. He knew Clint was counting.

His friend had done nothing, since she left. He was sitting on the same spot, throwing his stupid ball. The only thing to take it away from him was to shoot it while it`s up, so it would`ve ricochet somewhere. If only he had a gun… oh wait, he had a suit with guns! But he felt too pity for his friend so he didn`t. Instead, he sat on his spot, sipped his sugared coffee and did nothing about it.

But maybe a talk could`ve help him? At least a small one, maybe?

"Hey, pal, maybe you should go for a walk? Or take a little trip? Or maybe a voyage!" Tony got turned exited himself, instead of Clint.

"Yeah, sure." He continued throwing his ball. "Maybe, I could`ve go to Spain or something. Oh wait!" He turned sarcastically. "I forgot that I can`t leave _this freaking country_!" Well, he snapped.

"Oh…" This small detail completely fell out of Toney's head. "Maybe another town could make you feel better?" Was that a sincere hope in his voice?

"Fuck off, Stark"

That was a warning. Was it?

"I just wanted to help, bro. I just wanted to help, really. You can ask me any-…" Tony stopped as Clint stopped throwing his ball at the word 'bro' and gave him a glare.

Second warning?

"Come on Clint. It`s been a week and you`ve been only throwing your ball! Everything is not _that_ bad! It`s not like your wife left in one day before the wedding!" Tony stopped. Why would he even say that?

Furious glare was given him for that.

Third one, maybe? No?

"She`s not even your girlfriend or anything! She`s not, right?"

Clint removed his gaze and this time the wall got it. He sighted.

No, she wasn't his girlfriend _or anything_. She was just his friend. Maybe a best friend in some weird twisted way. But sometimes…just sometimes he wished…yes he wished! He _wanted _Natasha to _be_ his girlfriend or something. Closer than they were. Even a small innocent kiss could`ve make a difference. Is that so much to ask?

But he would`ve ever admit it to anyone. Even to himself. He would never be able to admit that he wanted more, that he wanted her. He wanted to feel her cold body next to his –warm and so accepting.

But...they were partners for Christ Sake! That was _at least_ impossible. Nothing would`ve let him - even she wouldn`t. Or that what he thought.

Oh, that was so messed up.

"No, Tony. And shut up already." He answered passively, starting throwing his ball up again.

Even thought Tony Stark was that much of a funny, public and not giving shit person, he was worried. He was still staring at Clint. In a few minutes, he brought a cup to his mouth and loudly sipped.

Clint turned to him abruptly and threw a ball into him fiercely. Luckily, Tony dodged from it somehow, like he knew it was going to be thrown at him. It could`ve left a huge bruise on his body, or face, if he didn`t

"Ha!" He cried out, celebrating. First – he missed his target. Second – he finally got rid of his ridiculous ball. Smelled like winning!

"You`re driving me insane, Stark." Clint stated calmly.

"You can always go to another state!"

"You wish."

"Why to hell not?" It`s at least somewhere to go, he thought.

"Saw enough in there. No pleasure to go there without…No pleasure to go at all."

Stark grew even more sympathetic and pity for his friend. It was sad, seriously.

"You can always take me with you!" Stark welcomed any changes.

"It`s enough for me to share a Tower with you. Not saying about any trips."

"What?" he asked playfully. "What is wrong with me? Am I bad companion?" He asked in disbelief.

"Believe me, you are."

"No one complained before". He was offended. Not for long of course.

"Yes, they did. Countless times, actually." He said with a small smile.

"Shut up, Barton." He said quietly like a little offended girl.

"Don`t be a whiny pussy, Stark. I won`t be able to handle _that_!" He laughed at this ridiculous situation. "You`d better make me some coffee or I will start looking for my missing ball".

And _that_ what Stark couldn`t let to happen.

He quickly stood up, strode to a coffee machine and let it do everything for him. In a minute, two hot cups were in his hands. He put a big one in front of Clint on the table. Second one he was already sipping.

They were sitting in a complete silence, drinking their coffee, enjoying it`s wonderful scent, that spread all over the room.

"So," Stark trailed off a little, "how are you doing?"

"Fine." He answered with gritted teeth.

"O-kay". Weirdo, he though.

"I am not her husband or anything. I`m just worried about her okay? After everything I heard, I'm just really worried. Agent Volkoff is dead. For real. And…all I know…is that that..emm…friendship meant a lot to her. I can only imagine how upset she is. Even lost. I`m just afraid that she would do some stupidity or snap or anything like that in Natasha`s style I mean. Believe me, I know her."

Wow, that was quite something! Had he just shared his feeling with Tony Stark? Yes, he did!

Tony`s eyes widened as soon as Clint started talking. He was pleased and astonished by the sudden speech that the Hawk gave him. In a good way of course.

"Well, If you were good friends with her, she would`ve take you with her, I guess. Or at least explain."

That was a sad, disappointing moment. Silence captured the room again.

"Mr. Stark? Am I interrupting anything?" Ai`s voice came from nowhere.

"No, Jarvis. What`s up?"

"There`s a mail for Agent Barton, ser."

"Oh, goodie! Turn up the screen Jarvis – let`s see who sent our Agent a letter! I am bored anyway."

"Hey!" Clint hissed in disapproval.

"I`m sorry for the misunderstanding, Master. I meant that there`s a postman waiting on the ground floor."

"Oh. Turn the cameras on then. We have to see if it`s a package or a letter."

"Do you think there could be a bomb in it?"

"I would like to check it first before bringing it to my precious Tower."

On that, Clint just rolled his eyes.

"Jarvis, please let him in – i`m sure Agent Barton is too lazy to take his butt off the couch."

Another dissatisfied 'Hey!' was heard.

The elevators doors opened and a young man with a huge bag full of letters stepped in. Of course, he was checked before coming in by the security and the scanner.

Clint put his signature on the paper, took the envelope and the postman left. He turned to Stark, made one step and then froze in the middle of the room.

It was not a big slightly yellow envelope with four words written in the front. It was woman's handwrite. Natasha`s to be exact. It said: "Clint Barton. Starks Tower"

Name and address. That`s it. Clint`s face grew pale. He was slowly opening the envelope while Stark was jumping around, wondering who was the mysterious letter from.

What appeared to be in it, none of them expected. It was a postcard.

Clint`s hands were trembling. On the front was a colorful picture of the beach and a sunset with italic inscription "Bahamas". Clint was greedily devouring it with his eyes.

"So, who`s this from?" Stark was dying from curiosity.

"Who do you think." He answered quietly.

"Wow, Black Widow herself sent you a letter! Yeah, that`s major!" He uttered.

No reaction from Clint. If it was another situation, he would`ve slap that noisy bastard already.

"So? What are you waiting for? Turn it over!" It was like unwrapping a Christmas present fom him. He couldn`t wait any longer.

Clint breathed, inhaling some bravery.

In a moment he faced the other side of the postcard.

It was blank.


	10. Meanwhile

Hi! It seems like i haven`t written for ages. But here it is! The 10th one

* * *

Natasha was thinking about everything that had happened recently. She was processing every move, every thought, and every word. Everything that she and her teammates had done. Every wrong and right decision that had been made. All recent activities and those that were made a lot time ago, which were almost forgotten. Or the ones she didn`t want to remember. Her memory was bringing everything up for analysis. She was some kind of computer, sorting each of her memories. It wasn`t solving anything. It was just bringing it all out of the dark corners of her mind, just to show her how messed up she was.

All that time in the plane, heading to Amsterdam, she was just staring in front of herself or out the window, making herself to go through hell, putting different colorful pictures of her past and present in front of her. They were so bright, painful, full dark colors…Sometimes she was glancing at her hands, looking through them, refusing to see the red on them. She had done a lot of introspection, which left her dim and hazy, and she couldn`t understand anymore what was good or what was bad; what had to be done or what would be better to leave undone. She was trapped in her own conscience, without even a hint of the way out.

After processing everything, dark thoughts were slipping into her head. She was lost and needed some sort of way out. She realized that after Red Room, she`d been too good, had too good of a reputation – she hadn`t chased, killed, harmed any good guys, hadn`t done anything bad, anything she could`ve been judged for. It felt like she was pure for too long. Hadn`t shown her true nature, hadn`t been evil. It felt like that bad girl had to come back. And this time, by her own will.

But in truth, she didn`t want to harm anyone. At least not physically. Slight self-destruction maybe. She wanted to get lost in time, sex, drugs, alcohol, smoke – anything she could find. She wanted to run away.

She didn`t know why had she chosen Amsterdam – it was a puzzle that she had no wish to delve into. It was the most unexpected decision that she had made in a few hours. But maybe, only maybe, it was possible that subconsciously she knew what she needed.

Her aim, as she discovered soon, was Red Lights Street.

It seems like a good way out, doesn`t it?

When the airplane landed, she took her bag, headed to the street and caught a taxi. All that she had in that small brown bag was a wallet with some cash, a pile of credit cards, a few knives, and a perfume that she bought in the shop before departing from the United States. What else could she have? Her house had been destroyed and everything she had was in there, except for this bag with her wallet, which had been in her room in SHIELD. But even if she had anything, she wouldn`t have returned to her apartment to collect any stuff.

The cab stopped in front of one of the luxurious hotels in the city, which didn`t belong to Stark or have any connection with his company. Yet, anyway. She stepped into the foyer and walked to the registry. The young man behind the counter was quite astonished by her appearance, just like everyone else: bright red dress with thin brown belt, impressive heels, red curls bouncing on her shoulders, and blinding friendly smile on her face. Who could blame them for being distracted?

In a few minutes, she was heading to her room on the 16th floor. It had a huge hall with sofas, coffee table, flowers, bar, and the most important – a huge window with a view on the whole city. In addition, the hotel room held a bedroom with a king sized bed and a bathroom. Not much, but there was so much space in it. It was so clean, so fresh, so new…Everything she needed.

It was about 11 o`clock, so she refused dinner and decided to have some rest, sleep, collect some energy.

When she woke up, she took a shower, had a cup of coffee and a bagel in a café near the hotel, and then headed to do some shopping. She had some time for herself, relaxing – she bought about 20 dresses of different types and colors, a dozen pairs of heels, some purses, a pair of jeans, a blouse, gorgeous underwear, tons of accessories and cosmetics, plus some daily usual things. She enjoyed her time alone as much as it was possible. Then she went to the spa, had a lot of procedures, and then had her hair trimmed. At the end of the day, she finally arrived to her hotel room dropped all her stuff, all those bags. She just put them on the floor – it seemed like packages were everywhere. She put on an exposing black dress, black purse and matching heels. She refreshed her make-up, checked her hair once again – and she was ready to go.

When she was passing the foyer, she could swear that all the males in the room were ready to fall at her feet. She smiled to herself and gave everyone a cocky smile.

She took a taxi and headed to the club, which had a grand opening that day. She decided not to steal a V.I.P card, instead opting to see what the area rich people could offer her. Gladly, she was properly dressed for this "occasion". It was really crowded, but fortunately, the people weren`t disgusting and repulsive – the opposite was true, actually: Natasha found them attractive, their style, their looks, their refined behavior. She had already spotted some people that she would like to be introduced to. She had her eye on some personalities and was eager to meet them.

"But not now," she thought, "It`s too early".

She took her spot in the bar and ordered martini. The night was only starting.

* * *

Thank you for reading/alerting/and everything.

But truth to be told - i`m addicted to reviews. Please review!


	11. Talk to me

"Be careful – the barman is pretty generous with the amount of alcohol in cocktails in here," the woman said, making herself comfortable next to Natasha. "Rovio, make me my favorite," she added playfully to the barman, and then looked at Natasha, who seemed like she was up for something new. "Two please." Rovio nodded and left to another side of the bar to look for the ingredients.

"And what makes him so special, that he puts more alcohol in his customers' glasses?" Natasha looked directly at the stranger, taking the opportunity to examine her appearance. She wasn't tall, even with high heels. She was slender, trim. She had gorgeous long curly black hair, deep brown eyes, and a perfect smile. She wore a tightly-fitted red dress. Yes, she was gorgeous. But it would be hard to determine who was prettier.

The woman smiled widely in response-she thought Natasha wouldn't answer her.

"Well, this bar is different from others. Plus, Rovio's my friend, so he makes cocktails stronger for friends of mine." The women were examining each other, trying to guess each other's profession, status, origin and other basics.

It was clear to Natasha that this woman was from England – she had a beautiful accent which was truly hers, not fake. She was in her mid-twenties, maybe older. She wasn`t really a party girl, but liked to drink. A lot, Natasha would say. She wasn`t alone – she probably had company somewhere. But Natasha had no idea about her profession – she looked like someone who had their rich daddy paying for everything. Or maybe not.

"So I advise you not to drink much".

"Don`t worry. I hold my alcohol well." It was true. Natasha`s body was different from everyone else`s – she was so used to it that she could drink whole bottle of vodka and feel all right ,walk straight, be sober-minded. She was given a pretty big dose of serum, but smaller than Steve's. Unlike him, she wasn`t invincible. Her wounds took longer to heal than his, but it was still faster than other people; it took her longer to grow older, some of her senses were sharper. And it was harder to get drunk, but it was possible, again, not like Steve – he had no chance to cloud his mind.

"Yeah, me too." By that time they were brought two shots of sambuca.

"And that`s your favorite drink?" Natasha asked skeptically.

"Not really." Both of them took their shots and let the liquid fall through their throats to run through their veins. "Only in the clubs like this. But I can see this isn't your favorite, either. So… vodka, tequila or rum?

Natasha looked at her, slightly astonished, but masking her feelings. "Vodka mostly. But other two aren't bad either."

"So we have something in common, then. But I don`t really believe that, that you take it well." She smiled playfully at Natasha – she was teasing her, trying to draw her into something. And Natasha was eager to get involved – anything was better than sitting here and getting bored.

"Try me, then." That was her answer.

"Glad to, but not now. We have a whole night to spend, maybe some people to meet. But at the end of all that… like I said, the barman is my friend. So, would you like to meet here in a few hours, when the club is closed? We could chat and drink. We could find out who can drink more."

Natasha smiled sheepishly – no one could ever beat her. But that woman had so much passion, ardor, that it would be a sin to say "no". There was something childish in her that couldn`t let Natasha say 'no' to a stranger.

"It`s twelve right now, so I propose that we meet in here in four hours. I hope you have something to keep yourself occupied 'til then."

"Yeah, we can meet here. I'm Scarlett, by the way. Scarlett Levingstone." Natasha didn`t really want to use her "Natalie Rushman" cover. In her purse, she had a few id`s, so she'd just picked one randomly.

"Nic to meet you, Scarlett. I`m Ether Brown. Have fun."

And with that she hopped of the bar stool and vanished into the crowd.

So Natasha finally found out her name – Ether Brown. It sounded familiar to her, but she couldn`t remember why. It didn`t seem like she was involved with criminals, but there was still something…

Anyway, at least she already had plans for the end of the party. She had four hours until then. Four hours to "have fun".

A handsome young man in an expensive suit came to the bar and ordered whisky. He turned his head in Natasha`s direction, spotted her, and smiled charmingly.

_I wouldn't mind spending the next four hours with him_ she thought.

* * *

Hey guys! I have a few ideas about this story and i wanted to give you a choice. I plan to take Natasha back to Clint, but i still have to tell you what had happened to her in Amsterdam. So would you like her come back now and find everything out in flashbacks? Or maybe show everything now (it`ll take about 6 or 10 chapters) and only then bring her back? But in second option there`ll be a huge lack of Clint. It`s your choice! So just tell me that in a review or PM me.

But review y! Oh, and thank you for reading.


	12. Something New

**Finally! I`m back! Yay**

* * *

They burst into the large bathroom kissing, her hands tightening around his neck, his wandering her back, going lower and lower. A few girls finished snorting their cocaine, and, seeing _who_ entered, rushed to leave the room.

Her body bumped into the sink, and he raised her and placed her on it. He put one hand on her thigh. With the other, he tried to pull her closer to him. She clasped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer. He started pulling the top of her dress down, kissing her collarbone. She in turn unbuttoned his shirt, throwing his jacket on the floor.

She'd almost unzipped his pants when he stopped, stepped back, took his keys out of his pants and feverishly headed to the door. He pressed the key into the lock, turned twice to the left and put it back into his pocket. He turned to her abruptly, eagerly impatient, but fitting in his role – reserved.

"Aren`t you afraid that someone could come in and see us in the most compromising position? And I'm sure they would love to come in and see what`s happening because of your screaming for me."

"Is that a challenge?" She smiled and bit her lower lip.

He almost ran to her. Her legs were already around his waist; his hands were entangled in her fiery red hair; their lips impatiently pressing against each other.

They were resting next to the wall on the tile. Both had ruffled hair and mussed clothes.

She was breathing heavily, intermittently. She wanted to say, whisper, shout "Wow" or "that was fantastic" or whatever she could`ve said in a situation like this, because it really was fantastic. Not the best sex in her life – of course it wasn`t, it was in a bathroom and that imposed some limits, for Christ's sake – but it was definitely on a respectable level. She wanted to say something, but she didn`t. She just rested her head on the wall, closed her eyes and breathed.

The Black Widow wasn`t made to make compliments. Neither was she made to get them.

She shuffled those thoughts about Black Widow into the darkest corner of her mind and shut it down. That name, personality, was a prisoner now – quiet, not intruding and far, far away. On vacation, perhaps.

He took her hand gently, brought it to his mouth and kissed it with a great smile.

And they said that chivalry was dead.

"Nice way to open the bar, don`t you think?" He gave her a sheepish smile, and she laughed. The music was playing in the bathroom all along, quietly.

He was still holding her hand, when he looked into very deeply into her eyes. She suddenly felt shivers striking through her body, it seemed so quiet in the room – and only "Girl" by The Beatles was playing.

She held her breath, but without breaking the eye contact. Those eyes, those wonderful dark brown eyes with a spark looking at her romantically with a bit of pleading and excitement. She felt dizzy, she couldn`t move and it seemed like she wouldn`t be able to breathe again. A second seemed like an hour, a simple blink took ages. He started leaning closer to her – she didn`t move. His eyes were running from her lips to her eyes – he wasn`t sure. Well, neither was she. The edge of his lip brushed hers , and she was ready to dive into this tremendous moment, this feeling. Her eyes started closing in anticipation.

But then she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Her eyes opened in astonishment. A gorgeous man was still in an inch from her. Natasha pulled back, turning her head away and taking her hand out of his. She stood up, straightening her hair and dress. She zipped it from the left and walked to the mirror.

Her dark-haired friend jumped to his feet, shrugging his shirt back on and belting his trousers. He looked a little bit lost and confused. He looked at her – she was so lovely, so beautiful and seemed as messed up as him in the moment. Because it wasn`t just random sex in a bathroom of the club, not this time. Well, it was at the beginning, but then it grew into something more. His heart was skipping a beat.

Natasha calmed down in a second, bringing back the prisoner and activating 'Black Widow' mode. She looked her in the eye and found something broken and lost. She blinked twice – and she saw coldness and strategy in them.

"I think I'll be going now. Have some work to do." She said while heading to the door.

That shocked him to the bottom of his heart – for the first time in his life, he'd felt something special, he'd let himself be more vulnerable than ever and she`s running away? No, that couldn`t be happening.

"What? Where are you going so fast?" She was already stretching to the doorknob. "Have you forgotten, I have a key." He put his hand into the pocket to find nothing.

"No, you don`t." Natasha was already opening the lock.

A man was bewildered. "What`s the rush all about?"

She stopped and froze. He couldn`t feel that too, could he? Or maybe he was just one of those guys who wanted one more round, thinking her as cheap thing. Natasha sighed – half an hour had proved that he was not. That was even worse.

To tell the truth, he could get what he wanted; get a gentle Natasha with an answer and all her pilled caring. He could get a happy ending eventually. He could, if she wasn`t in Black Widow mode.

"I have to work, alright? I have plenty of clients, sweetie." She turned to him with a fox smile. "Do you get it? I was sitting in a bar, waiting for some big pockets of money. But then you came up. And you were so gorgeous – I couldn`t resist shagging the owner of the new club. Even for free." Natasha cocked her eyebrow with a tempting smile, while looking at his body. She was talking with no mercy, as careless and foolishly as she could. She used her cover of a hooker – she had that mission once. It was an easy way to say 'no' to the guy and not to be stalked afterwards.

If you only saw his face – he seemed to be shattered into the million pieces. _"A prostitute!"_ he thought.

"It can`t be–" he kept fighting. "I have forbidden prostitutes to appear tonight or ever in this club."

"Oh-oh!" Natasha exclaimed as dirty and foolishly as she could. "I didn't know. Oh shit. I think I'd better be going." She waved to him and turned to walk away. "Please, don`t kick me out," She was behaving as if she were half drunk . "And I won`t tell anyone that you have slept with a prostitute, okay hun? Thanks."

And that`s when she finally left. He leaned on the wall, closing his eyes with hands. He was such a fool. How could it get that messed up? "Fuck!" He roared and punched the door of the toilet. _It just couldn`t be…_

Natasha rushed through the crowd and pushed the back door – it led to the dark cool street. "That was so close…" She thought. She couldn`t make the memory of his disappointed face to fade away. And that did hurt her. Hundreds of casual sex encounters and BAM! Her feelings decided to rebel against the Widow. She couldn`t understand what had changed. But she could certainly say that _something_ was breaking down that moment inside her. And that felt like shit.

It was inexcusable. The Black Widow was definitely going to sort it all out. She was tough. Natalie Rushman was also tough. Just like Natasha Romanoff. Scarlett Levingstone was supposed to be the same. She probably was. But she met Mark Walsh – yes, that gorgeous name – an attractive 28-years-old bar owner. She surrendered to those dark curls, brown eyes and the rest of the body. _"God damn him."_ She thought.

"What? You forgot your cigarettes?" A man in a suit came to her with a sheepish smile, holding a cigarette in one and the rest of the pack in the other. He was attractive as hell, the devil-may-care type.

This seemed to be a good idea.

"And a lighter, too." She smiled brightly to him.


	13. New heroes

Mark rushed from the bathroom to the center of the dance floor, looking around, dazed. He was like a lost puppy, separated from its owner. The music blasted in his ears and some drunken girls tried to grind on him, but he pushed them away with disgust. He stumbled through the crowd, aiming for the V.I.P room. When he entered the smoky, quieter place he searched for the woman who would have answers. Some businessman tried to congratulate him, but he wasn`t really responsive – he had a goal in mind.

"Ether!" He called out and caught a hurried glance from the other end of the room. He pointed at the door on his left, indicating she should meet him there.

He entered his office and soon was joined by the young woman.

"Mark! Everything is going so great. I have to say it – you were right!" She saw the worried look on his face. "What`s wrong?"

"Have you contacted Malcolm? I told him – no prostitutes in my club!" He didn`t know what else to say. He didn`t really care about prostitution, he cared about the girl.

"Yes, and after a long, tense conversation, he agreed there wouldn't be any. Why?"

Not listening, Mark continued on,"Or it`s him who`s fooling us…or the girl just didn`t want to see me again…"

Ether started cracking up. Mark gave her a confused look, but after a minute he understood that he was going to be mocked.

"A girl…ran away from you…Telling you she was a hooker?" Ether tried to suppress the laughter, but failed miserably. "Were you that bad, brother? Oh god, that`s an old trick!"

This was getting uncomfortable. His cousin, Ether (who preferred to call him brother, because they were really like a brother and sister), was mocking his sex life. _"Great, just great." _He thought.

"I`m so sorry." She was still laughing hard. "I can call security if you want, but I've never thought you were a stalker!"

"Not funny, Ether." He stated angrily.

"All right, all right." She looked at his sullen face, trying to understand why he was so sad. She couldn`t believe that there was something serious going on. "Tell me what happened".

He took a deep breath – spilling the beans to his sister wasn`t the best idea ever. But what choice did he have? "I met her in a bar. She was sitting alone, I bought her a drink and we were chatting and flirting. She`s a fascinating woman! Interesting, smart and…I don`t know, there was _something_ in her! It ended in a toilet, behind closed doors… And it was fucking amazing, Eth! Sorry, didn`t mean to tell you the details, but she was just…wow! And there we are, sitting on the floor, curled up to each other. I felt something this time, I really did."

"Maybe the alcohol was affecting you." She was trying to find an explanation for those weird feelings of his.

"No. It wasn`t like that. I hardly drank today. This was a real feeling. I kissed her hand, we talked a little, she looked so lovely in my arms and then all of a sudden she`s on her feet, dressing, changing completely into another person, saying it wasn`t serious and that she was a hooker. And she just took off!"

"Wow. That`s…unusual, I think. Maybe, just maybe, Mark! I don`t have my degree yet, but maybe she just got scared from the close contact...not sex…I mean feelings. But that`s probably total bullshit I guess."

"Yeah, sounds like it." He smirked at the future psychologist, thanking god that she wasn`t a specialist – she would`ve messed so many lives while helping people.

"I have no idea what the hell happened. It`s just so weird. I mean, this complete change – she was one person and then…shit. She looked so perfect on that bar stool – a glass of whiskey in her hand…Who the fuck drinks whiskey? Especially women at a club?" He chuckled at the memory. "That dress, her curves, those red curls…"

"Wait, did you just say 'red'?" She looked a little shocked at him and then started laughing wildly.

"What? Why the hell are you laughing now?" He got a little angry again.

"Small, short dress, high heels, red hair, a hint of a Scottish accent, drinking strong cocktails?" Mark was truly astonished. _"How the fuck had she found out? Is she trying to mess with my mind?"_

"I met her. In the bar, just like you did. Don`t lose your jaw if you want me to introduce her to you."

"Mother of Christ!" H exclaimed, pulling his jaw from the floor. "How the fuck can you know her?"

"I`ve just told you! Weren`t you listening to me? I met her in the bar; we talked about strong drinks and agreed to meet at the end of the night."

"What for?" He was curious now – his hopes weren't completely dashed after all.

"For a small drinking game – to see who can drink more." Ether grinned, remembering the future challenge.

Mark raised his hands up and exhaled a breathless "Yes!" in the air. Ether thought he looked like a childish fool.

"If you`re interested, her name is Scarlett Levingstone."

"Scarlett." He repeated it quietly excited. Yeah, he looked like a fool in love.

"Oh, brother, an hour with a girl and you are in love!" She started giggling.

"An hour and a half!" He grinned at her childishly.

He rested in the arm-chair behind his desk. She looked at him with mother's veneration – she`d been waiting for this moment for quite a long time. Even if it was just a girl who ran away from him. He wasn`t a youngster anymore. He was a grown up, and he was lonely.

His face changed in a moment, and he got serious. "I have to check on her." He pulled out his phone and started looking through his contact list.

"Wait, what? What? A moment ago, you were happier than ever that you`d found her and now you just want to run her through a database? What's wrong with you, Mark?"

"Don`t take it personally." He was a completely different person – something in common with the mysterious woman now. "We both know who our parents are, and how dangerous this world and business is. Don`t you remember when someone broke into your house last month?" He gave her a worried look. She lightly touched her neck, as a reminder – she'd nearly been choked to death. "She met both of us. She got both of us interested in her. That's suspicious. It`s my duty to check her out."

He dialed a number and pressed the phone to his ear. Someone named Julian Girtskiy answered and within a minute, everything was settled.

"You are such a bastard sometimes, you know?" Ether slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her, not feeling comfortable in the office anymore.

"Yeah, I know," Mark said into the empty room. "Life's a bitch, what can I say?"

* * *

**_Just review, alright? Because i`m losing my confidence - i don`t know whether you like it or not._**


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